the Wizard Witch
by ewab
Summary: The Wizard is a man down and a new greenhorn takes the place. weird things start happening, will everybody make it to harbor at the end? a deadliest catch story
1. Chapter 1

disclaimer: I don't own anything Deadliest catch related, only Will Draaier ( what translates to Will Turner) and don't own anything pirates of the caribean either.

reason for this story, I noticed that three of the fab four are present in story's except the Wizard, so a story that has the Wizard and its crew at the center. not just Crosby (even if he is in it. )

please review. it is my first Wizard story so if i have things wrong let me know.

Wizard and Witch.

Keith Coburn was freaking out again. No surprise there actually, except that this time Mouse wasn't the target. Nobody on the crew was the target actually. Even the producers from Disco where not on the receiving end of his latest PMS like outburst. The problem was that he was missing somebody on deck to freak out against. He was a man short once again. The first trip went fine, the greenhorn was functioning as was expected, not good but not too bad either. He just did what he had to do, no real dead wish, and no complaining. He even put up with Monty's torture without too much grumbling. And now the fool just jumped ship during offload. No warning or anything that the fool was going to do something stupid like that. Keith was used to greenhorns doing stupid things. But jumping ship without warning. No that was a new one. And because there was no warning he didn't have time to fly some other fool in. So he needed to find someone fast and in st Paul's that wasn't easy. If the fool had left in Dutch harbor it would have been easy to find a new one, but in st. Paul it is almost impossible. He already done the regular round looking for a new greenhorn, but for some strange reason it was hard to find anybody brave or foolish enough to sign up for a king season on the wizard. The locals didn't want to go fishing or where already on a boat. The workers on the processing plants all had a contract and couldn't just leave. So that left one old drunk and well the impossible ones.

Okay honesty demands him to admit that there were some fools ready to get on board, but that where people he wouldn't take on even if it meant not going out at all. There were about ten silly fan girls ready to muster on. Only what did those girls, or ladies, think they could do on board? Did they believe those stories that where floating around on the internet that all went the same way, girl gets on board and catches a captain instead of a crab? Not very likely on this boat because both his brother and he are happily married men. Even catching another deckhand is nearly impossible. The idea of any of these ladies, and he has a hard time calling them that, trying to seduce one of his deckhands while in the middle of nowhere? Not very likely, the reason most of these guys are on a crabboat in the middle of nowhere is because they want some distance between them and the fairer sex's for a bit.

But all this only makes his mood worse. He needs a strong, young and preferably stupid guy who wouldn't mind the hazing, cold, wet, pain and danger of one trip during king season, because during the trip he would be going thru the resume's looking for a proper greenhorn who wouldn't mind flying in for the remainder of the season. That fireman worked pretty well last time, so maybe the same guy or another fireman? Who knows, at least those guys are used to hard work and have some calluses on their hands. Not those soft lily white hands the "Ladies" have.

Just as Keith is within minutes of starting chewing tobacco again, or maybe he should try snuff tabaco this time, his brother enters the wheelhouse, all smiles.

"What Mouse, don't you know how stressed I am right now, I really don't need this right now."

Monty only smiles wider, leans against the wall and waits until his big brother is done raving.

"I know Keith, and I have the answer right here." And with that Monty points out the window. Keith leans forward so he can see and yes, there is a warm body. Unquestionably young and male, and by the look of it strong enough. Now to find out if he is also willing and stupid enough to get on board for just two weeks of hardship.

Giving his brother a 'friendly' pat on the shoulder, Monty felt the ribs he had broken earlier that year cracking again, Keith makes his way down to have a chat with his new greenhorn. Praying all the time that the kid is as foolish as he looks, but not as green.

As he gets closer to the new greenhorn he sees that the guy isn't as young as he looked from the wheelhouse. But he is tall, a bit on the skinny side but hey, Jake Harris isn't exactly a heavy weight either and he is well able to do the job. Getting even closer the kid looked younger again. No beard to speak of, but hey some of these guys aren't very hairy anyway.

"Hi, I'm Keith Coburn the captain." Keith sais while holding out his hand to shake and maybe help the guy onboard.

The new horn smiles, shakes and hands over a stack of paperwork.

"I'm Willem Draaier, here are my credentials, and I would like the chance to work for you."

Keith is glancing thru the papers and likes what he sees. The guy has worked on boats before. In Europe, so it is a different thing but still he has been on a boat before, so no psychotic breaks because he can't see the shore anymore. And no constant seasickness, because a guy who is seasick for weeks on end would never want to work on a boat before.

Keith looks at the new horn, Will.

"So what does all of this mean?" Keith asks holding the paperwork in the air.

"I have worked for two winters on a fishing boat catching herring, cod and mackerel. During the summer I worked as a short order chef on different ferry's between some European countries. And because it is compulsory to have at least one certified emergency worker per shift, and I always worked the night shift, I have those papers too." Will answers with his easy smile.

Keith is impressed, but working hard not to show it, never good to seem too eager while checking out a prospect greenhorn.

"So…..What does a emergency worker do?" seems like the next logical question. And Will is more than happy to answer.

"It is a kind of combined job, I have training as a first aid worker, police man and fire fighter. And in case of emergency I was even allowed to tell the captain what to do. But I won't over here, that is just on a ferry where there are a lot of civilians at risk."

Keith is satisfied, even if the guy is the greenhorn from hell, at least they would have some edible meals this trip out. And if there is an emergency on board they now have two qualified people on board to help. Only what is with the voice? The kid must have a cold or something. But Keith has made his decision. A warm body and even this kid must be able to do the work for two weeks. By then he can have a real greenhorn in place.

"Okay, get your gear and get on board, we leave in an hour." Keith is still acting grumpy but that is more for show, he is feeling much better than before.

Will hops over the rail like an expert and runs to get his things, within 45 minutes he is back weight down with three duffels. Crosby and Lynn offer help him get installed and show him around below deck.

The others are watching the new horn get settled, the verdict is that it is a shy, easy victim. The next trip is going to be fun.

Please review.


	2. Chapter 2

Second chapter,

For the Mouse fans, sorry but I am writing him the first couple of chapters as the guy you love to hate.

Chapter 2.

"Okay, Will…right?" Lynn is on his best behavior trying to be nice. Because Will is the only thing between him and another trip as baitmaster. And that Josh Harris likes being baitmaster, fine, that is his decision, Lynn would rather do things that don't include sixteen hours a day up to the elbows in raw stinking, chopped fish.

"Yeah, Will works just fine. And your name was?"

Giving his biggest smile Lynn takes the hand offered to him and starts rambling with 80 miles a hours.

"I'm Lynn, this tall guy is Crosby. Never mind the others. If you have any questions come to us. We'll help you. We newbees have to stick together." Opening the door to one of the staterooms and ushering Will in Lynn keeps talking. "You can store your gear over there. We share a bunk, that's because we will be having the same tasks for a big part once we get going. So we trade places. Eighteen hours of work and six's of down time." By now the duffels where stuffed into the drawer underneath the indicated bunk and Crosby was leading the way back to the galley taking over from Lynn in the explanations, pointing his long arms in every direction and every now and then opening a door.

"This is the galley, food is everybody for themselves. If somebody wants to cook fine, but nobody likes cooking and in general it tastes bad. So stick to poptards microwave stuff and ice-cream, it's your safest bet. Freezer is here. Coffee machine, make sure that there is always coffee. So if you take the last cup be sure to make new. The head, Keith will blow a gasket if there isn't any toilet paper so make sure to put up a new roll if you use the last bit."

Will just takes it all in making sure to nod his head at the right times. It is pretty much the same as on any other fishing boat he ever worked on. Work hard, keep your mouth shut and don't make waves, never ever change the routine, and then everything will be fine.

Lynn, feeling slightly cut out by Crosby takes the fact that Crosby has to breath as his opening. Grabbing Will by the elbow he pulls him to the table and pushes him into the bench. Grabbing three cups and pouring coffee all over the table he takes the floor again.

"Some of the guys will give you a hard time. Or try to at least. Just ignore them and keep working. They still call me Barbie and I am now on my third year on board. One rule, don't take your complaints up to Keith, he won't like it and just fire your ass. And then I'm the new guy again."

Will just smiles and takes the half empty cup of coffee, making sure the drops don't fall on his still clean T shirt.

By now the other guys feel that the new guy has had enough time to settle in and it is time to start teaching him his new job, and try to get in some hazing, just to see how the new kid is taking it. The shore is now far away enough that jumping overboard won't work anymore. Only boat around to pick him up is the Wizard, so no escape possible.

Travis enters and sees the three sitting at ease drinking coffee while the rest has been working to undock. And yeah he knows that there were enough hands to do the work, and more people would just have gotten in the way. Only that doesn't change the fact that the new greenhorn is sitting down in a nice warm bench drinking coffee.

"Barbie… get out there and clean stuff."

Lynn jumps up and scrambles into his raingear to get going.

"You…..Greenhorn, what's your name? Never mind princes will work just fine. Princes get ready, I'll show you how to do bait."

Princes? Now that is a nice touch. Will looks at the table and raises his eyebrows a little, before getting up and getting his raingear. Grinning to himself, Princes. Whatever. Completely missing the concerned look on Crosby's face.

Will takes his time getting ready. And by the time he gets outside Travis, Mouse and Sopher are standing by the cookie grinder, clearly bored by waiting.

"Okay princes, here we have the bait grinder, or cookie grinder. This thing doesn't care whether it grinds herring or you so be careful. This is the on/off switch. Unless you're using it make sure to have it turned off."

Travis was doing his best to teach something, the others were just there to enjoy the show and be irritating. Making sure to stand in the way with their arms crossed over their chest, clearly not helping one bit.

They did managed to get on Travis his nerves, even if he knew that they were going to do this. But the new greenhorn seemed completely unaware of their presence. And that pissed off Travis even more. Grabbing a load of frozen herring he pretty much threw it at the new greenhorn, hard, hoping the princes would topple over. Even more annoying the kid caught it without even a stumble.

"Now put that into the goddam cookie grinder, then turn the thing on and keep your arm over it, so it doesn't scatters raw fish everywhere. Because that stuff is slippery as hell and dangerous."

Travis is clearly not amused. Will does as he is told. And within five minutes the bait station is filled with shopped up herring and Will is looking expectantly at Travis for further instructions.

And Travis is at a loss, because he expected some gagging or jumpiness from the new kid. And nothing. So unsatisfying. Even Monte and Sopher start losing their interest for now. Looks like the new princes is too stupid for hazing. So as long the guy works well and doesn't complain, why bother while they aren't stressed?

Lennie takes over from Travis and the three potential bullies take refuge in the galley with some hot coffee and real cookies send by the fans.

Please review, it makes me write more.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3.

Will is stuffing chopped herring into the bags. And Lennie is just looking on. He isn't going to haze the new greenhorn, too much trouble, been there, done that and gotten a whole closet full of t-shirts. And the kid is doing alright, maybe not the brightest bulb in the store, but hey, who needs a professor to do bait anyway. In Lennie's opinion Crosby is highly over educated anyway.

After about 50 bags are ready Lennie believes that Will has the cookie grinder under control, even if he has to do it during a storm. So now it is time for the cutting up of cod. And lo and behold, Will has his own knife, a state of the art ceramic one. And no trouble with fish guts or anything.

Giving Lennie a big grin the kid is cutting the fish is nice sushi like bites, without even looking at his hands.

"Didn't Keith tell you I have some fishing experience? And I do know my way around a knife. It is just crab that I am new to."

Yeah Lennie gets it now. So he also gets out his knife and the two have a little match who can do cod the fastest. After about ten fish Lynn notices the contest and looks on. By the time they have fifty cod ready it is twenty four for Will and twenty six's for Lennie, only the old-timer is pretty sure he was allowed to win. But he has no real prove that Will threw the match. So accepting the victory the old-timer shoos his two youngster into the galley. Enough bait ready for the first string or two. Now it is time to feed the masses. Or for the masses to feed themselves.

But before they make it inside Keith is on the loudhailer.

"Hey newbie, get ready to do some cooking, we want dinner in forty-five minutes."

On getting inside Will notices a scurry of movement inside and within ten seconds the galley is empty except for a nervous Lynn who tries to squeeze his way between Will and the countertop without touching Will too much. So that leaves Will alone with no idea of where to even look for the raw materials to get a meal going.

Slowly making his way up to the wheelhouse Will first sticks his head around the corner while still on the stairs.

"Captain, permission to go get on to the bridge?"

"Permission granted." Is the grumpy but at the same time gratified response.

Feeling decidedly awkward Will is just looking at his toes, while trying to get his question across.

"Sorry to bother you with something so trivial, but where is the food?"

This does get Keith's attention. "Why do you ask me, why not one of the others."

"Well…They all disappeared into their stateroom's, or the shower, or even the head. And no way I am going in there to pester them about something like this."

Starting to get red about the gills Keith is about the explode when he hears a noise below. And a feral grin starts on his face, that he is trying to hide by becoming very interested with the weather.

"So go ask Art. He's downstairs. And he knows the way. And when he's done with helping you send him up to take the wheel."

Hurrying down Will is racking his brains about which one was Art. Only to stop at the bottom of the stairs in utter surprise. Where has this one been hiding? The first thing he notices is the rather prominent nose. Only after that the bedraggled look and the big yawn.

"Hey, are you Art?"

"Yeah, and you are?" nobody can blame Art for being confused, when he went to bed they still had a stocky build blond as a greenhorn, and now it is a dark haired maypole.

"I'm the new greenhorn, Will, but the others seem to call me Princess."

That gets a grin from Art. "Must have been mouse that gave you that name."

"Mouse?"

"Also known as Monte."

Now it is Will's turn to laugh. "Well in that case I think my nickname isn't too bad, rather be named after royalty than a rodent. But I am also the new cook, and I haven't got a clue as to where the food is."

After scratching his head for a bit, and some other parts of his anatomy Art takes Will into the dark dank parts of the boat looking for foodstuff. Only in the freezer there are only packets of over four pounds of solidly frozen meat. So that isn't going to be ready in now less than thirty-five minutes.

"Well this is never going to work. Are there no smaller amounts?" Will is starting to get desperate, he is pretty sure that a vegetarian meal isn't going to be a success.

Art starts scratching again.

"There are a few smaller surprise things, but I don't have a clue what it might be."

And neither does Will but these four one pound packets of meat he at least can defrost and get ready in time.

Now for the vegetables, that is also a bit of a challenge. More mystery things, a whole collection of tin's without a label. Apparently those got washed of the last time the boat sprang a leak.

So armed with four packets of mystery meat and three tin's of mystery something, hopefully vegetables. But it could also be ravioli or chicken soup, Will makes his way back to the galley in order to get cooking and Art takes over from Keith, warning him that the new greenhorn is going to need a bit more time. And to get the pop tarts and anti acids ready.


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks for all the reviews.

if you expect lots of drama, please read my other stories, I dont really do Drama. but lots of sweet cudly chapters.

EwaB

Chapter four.

Sitting at the wheel Art's live is good. He had his eight hours of sleep, the new greenhorn looks like he knows what he is doing, in the galley at least. The weather is looking calm, the sea is smooth as a mirror, what is a blessing at any time. Even just steaming along towards the fishing grounds. Sure he would like it better while hauling pots. But right now, live is good. For Art that is. The sounds coming from the galley are not too scary, so everything seems to be going smooth down there also. He is content.

And after half an hour tantalizing smells start assaulting his nose. Soon to be followed by a head coming around the corner.

"Hey Art, since you're the only one awake, want to try if this is any good? Not too spicy, I always have a bit of a heavy hand with pepper."

And sure, Art is more than willing to try anything smelling that mouth watering. Will is presenting a bacon wrapped little thing on a clean white plate. Putting it in his mouth in one bite, Art starts chewing. The sensations in his mouth are interesting to say the least, the salty crispy bacon followed by the sweet but spicy meat that it was wrapped around. He is really trying to identify the mystery meat. It's sweet and smooth, very soft to chew, and kind of dry. But is has him stumped.

"It tastes great kid, but what is it?"

"Liver with bacon, don't know what kind of liver because it was rather cut up. But my guess would be pork, or so I hope."

Liver? Art is seriously cracking his brain to think why on earth there would be liver on the Wizard. Then he remembers, that navy guy who thought he was the best greenhorn on the planet, he was eating raw liver to keep up. That means that the liver has been living in the freezer for at least three years by now. EUWWW.

Not sure whether to spit it out or to trust that it stayed frozen all this time, a slightly green Art gives a well meant advise.

"Kid, the meat is good, we all like spicy, but don't tell anybody it's liver until they are done eating. Or not even than unless they ask. And do you have anything without liver?" The last part with an irresistible hungry puppy look.

"Sure, there was also grounded meat. I'll point out the save food for you."

About to turn around and head back to his cooking Will throws a parting shot over his shoulder.

"What's with the Kid by the way, I thought my nickname on board was Princess?"

"It is when the others are around, but whenever it's just you and me it's Kid or maybe even Will. Unless you prefer Princess?" is the answer while Art is scratching some not mentioned parts of his anatomy.

Grinning back Will agrees that he prefers Kid or Will.

Making his way back to the galley Will considers what he could use to keep from getting the same itchy infestation that clearly has Art scratching nonstop. Or maybe he should just keep his distance, even if that is nearly impossible on a boat this small.

Ten minutes later everybody is sitting around the table, with Will on wheel watch. They are elbowing each other out of the way to get a second helping. The bacon wrapped liver was the first to go, and it went fast without any questions of its origins. And now the guys are cleaning out the last of the pots with green stuff, and using pieces of bread to get to the last bits of the different gravy's.

The general agreement is that the string beans and asparagus are the best ever eaten, the mystery meat was divine, and they never had potatoes that tasted this good. Monte is wondering when exactly he bought the fresh stuff, or where they kept it, and how the hell he is going to mollify Keith about the cost of having fresh green stuff on board, when normally nobody does the cooking. And he decides somehow that it is all the fault of the new greenhorn. The Princess is going to pay in blood, sweat and tears for all this good eating, if he gets chewed out by his big brother.

Because that it is, the best food he has had on the boat, ever. Even before he has seen or tasted the dessert. After the lemon sorbet ice-cream with fresh blueberries, salmonberries and loads of whipped cream, Monte is sure it was the best food ever. Never mind the boat.

And it seems everybody is in agreement. As far as Art is concerned the Princess doesn't have to touch a single bait bag, just keep him safely shackled into the galley and cooking and he will do the extra work. He can just picture it in his mind. Will wearing a nice white frilly apron and a big bow on his nice perky. NOOOOO. He isn't thinking this. No No NO.

Lynn and Crosby are just happy no matter what happens, they aren't the lowest one on the pecking order anymore. Keith is still congratulating himself for the good judgment in taking on the Kid. Lenny just wants a re-match on fish gutting and he's going to enjoy the food in the mean time.

The only ones that seem less than happy are Monte, Soper and Travis. Monte foresees how somehow if anything goes wrong it's going to be his fault again since he introduced the new greenhorn. Soper and Travis just because they feel like it.

you know the drill, reviews make me write more and faster.


	5. Chapter 5

Thanks for the reviews. some action after the 'cute'chapters.

still own nothing.

Chapter five.

Soon after dinner, or breakfast in case of Art and maybe lunch for some of the other guys, Monte is at the wheel, with the company of Travis, Soper and Art.

Keith has gone back to bed, so he is fresh when they start hauling pots, with the stringent warning that no funny business should take place.

Lenny and Crosby are out on deck, Crosby to clean some more and Lenny to practice gutting cod, because he is kind of pissed off that the princess is faster than him. Crosby advices Lenny to sharpen his knife some more, since the princess has this special ceramic knife, and those puppies are razor sharp.

Will and Lynn as the two youngest or newest on board are in the galley doing the dishes. Singing, splashing and goofing around. They are in no hurry, the weather is fine and the food was good. And as Will has made the food, he also knows where the leftovers are. To Lynn's delight. More salmonberries for the two of them while cleaning. Will is doing the washing and Lynn the drying and putting everything away. In the mean time he even gives Will some more instructions of what goes where.

Upstairs the sounds of the two 'girls' having fun in the galley give rise to some comment. It starts pretty harmless, and of course Monte is the first to start.

"Listen to the girls, how nice they sing. It's a wonder they don't try for Idols."

"Yeah, I can just picture Lynn doing lady Gaga." Travis is snickering and the others agree. The idea of Lynn in a white wig and a blue bathing suit is kind of funny. Especially when at just that moment he is singing rather loud and off key, going Tweettweettweet.

Soper has to one up Travis, again of course.

"How about the princess as Rihana. I can see him swinging with that umbrella. Only who would want to get under it with him?"

This produces another round of laughter. Only this time Travis notices that his buddy Art isn't laughing as hard as normally.

Giving him a push against the shoulder. Hard enough to make Art slide of the bench. Which already earns him a rather deadly stare from Art, Travis has to push it one further.

"What's up bro, would you like to be under his umbrella? Maybe you should give it a try, might work better than the ladies on shore. We all know they are keeping their knees together whenever your around. Might…"

That is as far as he gets before Art's right fist connects to his nose. Art is bright red and steam is coming from his ears. Travis never being one to turn down a fight starts swinging as well and soon the two are fighting in earnest.

The little tiff on the Northwestern between Jake Anderson and Matt Bradley is nothing in comparison.

Keith wakes up from all the noise and storms into his wheelhouse still half asleep, only to see his little brother laughing at the scene and going off course because he isn't watching the wheel, Soper is kind of trying to separate the two combatants but with little success, because well they are strong and very angry guys. When a stray blood spatter hits Keith in the face he jumps into action.

Grabbing Travis by his hair and pulling with all his might and yelling at Soper to grab Art in a similar way, Keith starts cursing up a storm. This seems to have some effect on the two fighters, and the threat of being thrown overboard with just a line around their waist to cool down some seems to deflate the boiling anger really fast.

So within five minutes Keith is down in at the galley table and he is facing down four very sorry looking crab fishermen, Art is sporting a rapidly darkening black eye, and his upper lip is bleeding freely. Travis has a bloody nose that is decidedly out of alignment. Soper looks like a six's year old that has been caught in the act of stealing cookies who would rather be anywhere but there, and Monte like his dog that's been kicked and now gets blamed in the process.

Will and Lynn are the unwilling witnesses of a very effective dressing down of grown men.

The two on deck are also hearing it but they have wisely decided to stay outside. Even if it would now start blowing up a storm, no way those two are coming in.

After Keith is done with his punitive action, he gives Will permission to take care of the injuries. Turning around he goes back to bed, mumbling in a very clear way. "I need to get some god dame sleep. And nobody wake me up before we reach the effing grounds."

And Will springs into action right after the door closes behind the still angry Keith.

"You two, are you hurt in any way?" he asks in the direction of Monte and Soper, and those two still so dazed that they just answer.

"No we're fine."

"Good than go and drive the boat." And the two would be bullies take flight up the stairs to the wheelhouse. Not even thinking about disobeying or challenging the princess.

Turning towards the one bleeding the most freely Will grabs a bag of frozen peas and starts wrapping it in a towel.

"Art, take this and keep it against your lip, I might have to put some stitches in it, and then the cold will have it numbed and it also keeps down the swelling."

Grabbing the second bag of frozen peas and wrapping those up they also go to Art, for his eye.

After Art is temporary taken care off. Its Travis his turn. Will just grabs his nose and jerks it into place.

"Auch, What the Fuck."

"Trust me, it's was better this way, if I had given you a warning you would have tensed up and it would have hurt even more." Is the grinning reply.

Lynn has trouble to keep from peeing his pants. Because the princess is putting the greenhorn bashers into place. And he loves it.

I love reviews and they make me write more and faster.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer, I don't own anything Deadliest catch related.

Also very happy that the Time bandit and the Northwestern are back on the show for season 7.

Chapter 6.

Soon after Travis was in bed sleeping it off with about four painkillers and half a bottle of Scotch in his system. And a bag of defrosting peas on his nose. Talk about snoring.

And Will turned his attention to an apprehensive Art.

"Okay, let's look at that lip of yours."

Carefully peeling off the towel covered peas, that was by now soaked in blood Will cleanses Art's upper lip. Lynn has trouble not fainting or gagging. Because that lip looks awful, its swollen and almost purple. Lynn is even pretty sure he can see what remains of Art's teeth shining thru a hole in the upper lip. And that isn't a lot of teeth that is left.

Then Will gets in between Lynn and Art, blocking Lynn's view, Will holds out his left hand to Lynn.

"Give me some water will you Lynn?"

And Lynn jumps and gets Will his water, that Will uses to rinse out the wound on Art's lip.

"Seems like you're a lucky guy Art. It's just a slight cut. No stitches necessary, and your teeth still look good as well. This one in the front is a bit wobbly so you're on fluids for a couple of days but other than that your good to go. "

Art just grunts that he feels one of his teeth is wobbly. And okay no biting, not even the greenhorns hands while the kid is pushing against his wobbly tooth.

Will moves over again, and Lynn can't help looking again, and yeah, Art looks a lot better. His lip is almost normal in size and color now. No more weird holes showing the bloody stumps of broken teeth and even his eye looks a lot less closed up as it had been only five minutes before. Must have been his imagination that made it look worse than it was, right?

After Art has also gone to bed with some painkillers and the remainder of the Scotch, Lynn is volunteered by Monte to clean up the wheelhouse. And that is where he really starts to lose it. Because all over the floor, walls and roof is blood, it looks like these two idiots murdered a whole flock of chickens in here. And all over the floor, covered in blood are bits of hard white shards, like teeth. Only that isn't possible, both guys still have their teeth, he's sure of it, Travis wasn't hit in the mouth, and he just saw Art with all his teeth in place. But the last thing he wants is to talk too Monte or Soper in order to find out what actually happened. And the guys are acting as if he isn't even there mopping up blood and teeth.

So the only two for him to talk to are Crosby and Lenny. And those two have even less of a clue than he does. By the time the wheelhouse is clean enough for the two old men up there Lynn is outside rubbing elbows with Crosby while pretending to be mending pots and talking about the weird stuff going on.

"Crosby, I think I'm going crazy."

Well that's no surprise for Crosby, maybe that it took Lynn so long to realize is. But that is another story all together. So Crosby just pulls up his eyebrows and that is all the invitation that Lynn needs.

"Yeah, first Art looks like shit, his lip was really busted open and all, and then all of a sudden there was nothing wrong with it, or hardly anything. And cleaning up upstairs, there where bits of teeth all over the place. But neither is missing any teeth. And Will just goes around acting as if it is the most normal thing in the world to fix up busted lips. Trust me, the guy is weird."

Grinning that big teethy smile of his Crosby tries to reassure his freaking out friend.

"It used to be Will's job to fix up people or so, I heard him say he used to work as some kind of medical aid during free fighting matches in Thailand or so, or was it Thai boxing? At least he is used to guys beating the shit out of each other and then having to be patched up. And the bits of teeth where probably the remains of a coffee cup, god knows plenty of those shattered up there over the years. Remember last unload that Keith smashed one against to wall because Monte wasn't keeping count? So relax and get some rest, we will be working our asses of soon enough."

And with that the two make their way towards their bunks. Crosby to sleep the sleep of the innocent, and Lynn to ponder if he is really going mad, or if Crosby's explanation makes sense. Not that he gets very far with it, because he is snoring within five minutes.

Reviews make me write faster and more, and maybe even longer chapters.


	7. Chapter 7

A bigger chapter this time. hope you like it.

and thanks for the reviews. yeah Will is a bit on the weird side and things will only get weirder.

Chapter seven.

After only four hours of hard earned rest Monte is waking up the crew. Keith is at the wheel already and fuming because he now has to start pulling a 27 pot string that has absolutely nothing in it. Going to the crab grounds Keith had to dropped the top layer of pots to keep the boat from rolling over. The icing up was dreadful on the first trip out. Actually the weather was a disaster the first trip period. Now it almost looks like summer. Smooth sailing, calm seas and a balmy fifty five degrees, it would be scary if it wasn't such a huge good omen. They can use all the good omens they can get now the guys have to pull up the pots and stack them safely even with Travis and Art in sick bay. Never good for morale pulling empty pots that weren't even baited.

Will is fixing a fast breakfast of two dozen of eggs with a copious amount of cheese, mushrooms, tomato's, red peppers, chorizo and cream. The smell is amazing and is certainly helping Monte with getting the guys out of bed. Soon everybody except Travis and Art are sitting around the table shoveling omelets down their gullets.

Art is eating porridge because of his wobbly tooth problem and Travis is staying in bed, his nose is about three times the normal size and his eyes are completely closed, his right hand is swollen and his elbow is killing him. Art on the other hand looks and feels good enough to go to work. To Monte's relief.

After the more than satisfactory breakfast everybody changes and heads out. It is still a half hour steam to where the pots are. But the weather is nice so hanging outside isn't a punishment.

Will, Crosby and Lynn are hanging out by the bait station.

"Will is it true, did you do free fighting?" Lynn just has to know.

Will scratches his head. ( Yeah he has 'caught' Bering sea itch)

"Yeah, kind of, but it was more like the European version of fight club. Nothing official, and no prices to win. Why?"

Leaning on the cookie grinder with his free hand on his hip Lynn flips his hair, blinks his eyes and smiles.

"I heard somewhere. Never mind."

Crosby is starting to feel weird. But before he can say anything Lynn is asking the next question, leaning in to Will's personal space. Not that Will seems to mind.

"Why where you on saint Paul's anyway. Couldn't you get another boat?"

"I got marooned. My boat docked and I got sick, they couldn't take me along so they left me, with the promise to pick me up next year or so. And sure I could have just hopped onto a plane as soon as I was well enough. Actually Monte found me at the airport checking out flights so I could get out of here and to Australia. I was planning to go walk about in the outback. You know hire a little plane and just fly to some abandoned airstrip in the middle of nowhere and get lost for a couple of weeks. But then Monte showed up and asked if I wanted to work on a crab boat. And the rest is history."

The expression on Lynn's face is unadulterated adoration.

"Will why don't you go get me a smoke."

Crosby has had enough. And while Will walks off to get the required cigarettes Lynn rounds on Crosby.

"What? Why are you treating Will like a greenhorn?"

"Well I could ask why you are flirting with the greenhorn. Cut it out. Its embarrassing."

Lynn starts pouting. "I wasn't flirting."

"Yeah you where." And Crosby starts copying Lynn's behavior.

Leaning onto the baitbin with his hand on his out trust hip, leaning forward and having a pretty good copy of Lynn's slightly bovine expression on his face.

"Really could you be any bigger of a girl" and imitating Lynn's voice "Oh Will how amazing, walk about in Australia. You know how to fly a plane. Fight club, that is such a turn on. BWECH."

Crosby is fake retching.

"I. Wasn't. Flirting. With. Will." Lynn manages to sputter out turning red around the gills.

"Good because if you where Art might get jealous. And did you see what he did to Travis?"

Crosby is having too much of a good time baiting Lynn.

"What do you mean?"

"Well I heard from Lenny who heard from Soper that Art started the fight because Travis said something about Will."

"So?" Lynn isn't really following, and when he isn't really following something he pulls this very typically Lynn expression, with his mouth and eyes wide open.

"So. Art gets slightly confused sometimes about what he likes, girls or boys, especially after a long stay at sea. You never noticed how he is always just a bit too close to you?"

"No?" But it is clear that Lynn is having his doubts.

"No, Didn't he help you with your gear the first time? Like this?"

And Crosby gets a bit closer to Lynn and starts puling on the suspenders of his raingear slipping his hands on the inside of his pants and just a bit too close to Lynn's butt.

"No….He never…O my god…..damit….NO way. …HELL."

Lynn is at a loss for words. Because he does remember. But he just thought that Art was a nice guy helping out a greenhorn.

Crosby has trouble not peeing his pants with laughter.

"You keep pulling a face like that and I can't even blame Art. If you where a girl I would force you to your knees myself. OUCH what the Hell."

Now Lynn has gotten mad. It might take a while before he understands something but once he does he will fire up.

"I don't do blowjobs."

The two buddies are facing off when the suddenly hear Keith going postal over the loud hailer.

"LYNN… CROSBY, UPSTAIRS NOW…."

Looking at each other with pure panic written on their faces they slowly make their way over deck, clearly walking the walk of shame. Even if the others don't have a clue as to what was going on.

Crosby gets his act together when he opens the door to the mudroom.

"Shit, we're in for it now. lets tell him it was just a joke, we were playing a scene from fightclub that movie, okay?"

"Yeah lets." Is all Lynn gets out.

Once face to face with Keith Lynn totally chickens out and is unable to say a single word. So Crosby has to do the talking.

"What is going on? Have you both gone mad?"

"Well it's all Will's fault, he was telling how he used to be in a European kind of fight club, and so we were talking about the movie with Brad Pit and how he hit that other guy. And…..and…."

Well you can't really blame Crosby for running out of words. But at least they don't get thrown overboard to cool down.

"Get the hell out of my wheelhouse and no more movie's for the two of you for the remainder of this trip, you hear."

"Yes sir captain sir Roger." And nearly tripping over each other the two hurry out of the wheelhouse.

Keith can hear them bickering on the way out.

"I wasn't flirting, honest."

"Yeah you where and don't"

"I WASN'T FLIRTING."

And with that Lynn slams the door closed and Keith doesn't have to listen to them anymore.

Keith runs his hands over his face and lets go of a big sigh.

"This is going to be a very, very, very long trip."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8.

By the time the two chastised kids get back on deck and the news of their grounding is extensively discussed, No movies for two weeks while working, how dreadful, as if they would have had time to watch movies, it is time to start pulling empty pots.

Will is standing ready with new bait jars when Lenny takes pity on him.

"We won't be needing those, we're going to stack these, there are no crab here."

"I don't understand? How do you know there won't be any crab?"

Lenny considers for about ten seconds whether to tell the greenhorn or not. And then decides to explain. Pulling empty pots is a drag but not really hard work with calm seas like this.

"Keith had to dump the pots to keep us all from dying in a storm. So he just dumped them somewhere where there are no crab, and the pots aren't even baited. We're now just getting them back to go fish them somewhere where there hopefully is crab. Get it?"

"Kind a. But what if there are crab here?"

Grinning Lenny considers the new greenhorn in positive light, the kid has optimism. Misplaced optimism but still. "There won't be."

"Okay." And with that Will makes his way back to the bait station and drops the bait. Now he has nothing to do but watch and learn.

Unfortunately Soper also has little to do, and since he doesn't have to learn anything anymore, his favorite pastime is harassing the greenhorn. And he has seen something that has grabbed his attention.

"Hey Princess, what is that thing around your neck?"

"This? It's a epirb, standard issue." And with that explanation Will pulls the thing from underneath his clothes. It's about as big as a slightly large medallion, smooth and silvery looking.

"Standard issue? What are you talking about, a boat needs a Epirb, but a person doesn't."

"Well it's standard issue with my job, and I'm supposed to wear it twenty four seven. No matter what I'm doing."

Now it's Soper's turn to look surprised. "What the hell kind of job did you do before you got here Princess?"

Will looks kind of panicky at that and starts staring as if he tries to come up with something. When all of a sudden… "Hey look the first pot thingy. And there is something in it."

Saved by the first pot. Because now Soper has to start working and the time pepper the greenhorn with questions is over, for now. but Soper has smelled blood, and he isn't going to let it slide. There is something weird about the Princess's his other job, and he is going to find out.

The first pot has two cod in it. The second one has one cod, one octopus and three keepers. The third one is empty. Fourth also has a cod and a couple of keepers.

And that is enough for Keith. It seems this wasteland on the way to the fishing grounds isn't as deserted as he thought. So the loud hailer crackles to live. "Guys we start putting these back, bait heavily. One jar and two cod." So all of a sudden Will is going to be very busy putting in bait. And pulling out crab. Not that there are a lot in the pots right now. but if even baitless pots get crab then it must be a very good spot.

So the grind starts a bit earlier than expected. But the weather is still amazingly good. Work goes fast and almost every pot has some sort of catch. Either cod, keepers and a few very ugly fish.

With only four more pots to go Keith pulls Will in to start the next meal. And this time Will had taken the time to prepare, he had pulled the meat out of the freezer when he prepared breakfast. Getting the already defrosted meat and some mystery can's, those still are a bit of a gamble, but he is almost sure it where vegetables and not soup. And even if they are soup, he also has three bags of defrosted pees to work with. The blood is only on the outside of the bag. The pees are still eatable.

By the time the others come in cold and hungry the food is ready. Standing back Will watches them all attack like a pack of hungry wolfs. Even Travis is feeling well enough to eat this time, and Art is able to eat normal food as well, just no meat yet.

Only something strange was going on according to Travis. His food wasn't right. The meat was closer to shoe leather than a nice sirloin, the vegetables where boiled to a tasteless mush, and the gravy was just salt. In the pots the food looked fine. On his plate the food looked fine. On his fork the food looked fine. But by the time it reached his mouth it turned into shoe leather and mush. Must be the broken nose that is fucking up his taste buds, he must have read it somewhere once that smell is eighty percent of taste. Right?


	9. Chapter 9

Still don't own anything involved with Deadliest catch.

chapter 9.

The food disappeared within minutes. And after it is Travis his turn to clean, he has been resting all day so now it his turn to work, cleaning the galley and then wheel watch, it's the only thing he is capable of. The others turn in for the night, however short it might turn out to be. And this is getting complex. Because Will and Lynn are in the same bunk, sleeping in the galley isn't a option with a still angry Travis throwing stuff around, but together in one bunk is a bit too cozy as well. Or it is to Lynn, and to Crosby who is sharing the stateroom. Will doesn't seem to be to bothered by it.

"Okay, head to toe seems like the best way to me. And thank goodness you aren't too tall. Two such may polls in one bed would be impossible."

And after that he just climbs into 'their' bunk and settles into his corner. Leaving Lynn very little choice than to get in as well. Crosby mouths a stringent "No Funny stuff" before turning off the lights and soon three not so soft snores fill the room.

Much too soon to his feeling Will has to leave his cozy corner and wriggle his way across Lynn's sleeping body to start cooking breakfast. He isn't feeling too great and cooking is accompanied with some heavy groaning and complaining. Too Travis enjoyment, he is sitting back and watching the show. Will breaking eggs, getting the bread from the freezer and stuffing it in the oven. Pulling out two pizza's and breaking those in pieces and adding that to the eggs.

Whowe, wait a sec, pizza in the eggs?

"Hey what the fuck are you doing?"

Will almost drops the egg mix turning around as fast as he does.

"Hey Travis, what are you doing up?"

"I had wheel watch and now I am waiting for breakfast and after that I'm either going to turn in or go out to work, depends on how I feel."

"Oh, okay, sleep tight, and don't let the weird dreams faze you." Is Wills smiling reply. And before Travis has a chance to think about the weird answer or the creepy smile he is fast asleep and dreaming about a female version of Will dressed in a pretty pink fifty's dress with a nice lace apron and stripper heels in a typical Formica kitchen cooking and baking up a storm.

Travis is rudely awakened by Monte who wants to eat his breakfast sitting down. And let's say that the memory of pizza in the egg mix is completely gone, replaced by some, after some thoughts, very scary thoughts and feelings, even if the dream was quite nice.

After a once again memorable breakfast with omelets with lots of vegetable's cheese, salami and even some pineapple and some fresh baked bread. Will takes a look at Travis his nose, hand and elbow. The nose is still broken but getting better he is able to breathe thru it so that is good and he can keep his eyes open for long enough that Will can see the color, a nice clear blue. It is now clear that his hand isn't broken and the swelling is down enough that Travis can move his fingers without flinching. His elbow is still red and angry looking around the scab that has formed but movement is possible. So after a new dressing Will gives the all clear for deck work. To Keith's delight and Travis disappointment, he would have liked another couple of days of R and R.

So Travis is the last one on deck, and he is getting some grief about that. First one to start is Monte.

"Hey look who is well enough to join us. You sure Rocky?"

And Soper isn't much nicer to his buddy either. The rest just work and let Travis take his time to get his grove back.

Soon Travis return to deck isn't a big issue anymore, and Soper turns his attention to baiting the greenhorn again. He saunters to the bait station and gets going.

"Hey Princess, where is that fancy knife of yours?"

"Fancy knife?" Will is clearly puzzled.

"Yeah the fancy knife I heard about from Lenny, The ceramic one?"

"Oh, that one?" Will response is less than interested, scratching his head and neck. Clearly uncomfortable. "Its inside, those things are sharp but also fragile, they shatter in like a million pieces if you hit something the wrong way. And if I break it, it's a nightmare to get a new one."

"Why, you just buy one right?"

Will has returned to filling bait bags hoping Soper would just go away, so he is pretty much head down in the bait bin while talking.

"Nope cant, things are standard issue like the epirb, nor for sale yet in the public marked, have to turn in the handle and the shard's to get a new one. And if the paperwork is a nightmare, the little talk about responsibility and stuff is even worse."

"What kind of job did you have before you got stranded?" Soper is about dying to know and would like to shake the truth out of the kid, only he can't, not while in line of sight from the wheelhouse and a already angry Keith.

Somehow Will manages to dive even deeper into the bait bin. And by the time he gets out he just stares out to the rail for a bit before opening his mouth again.

"Hey look Orca."

And sure the guys at the rail start hooting as well, Orca are a good sign. Saved by the bell, or Orca, again. Because Soper runs to grab his camera and snap some shots. He promised to do so to some weird Dutch fangirl. But hey everything for one of those kick ass mask's she makes.

Remember, feedback makes me write more and faster.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10.

The big black and white dolphins are riding the bow wave, posing for pictures, or so it seems. The big male even breaches a couple of times. So Soper is happy, he has his pictures. And as fast as they appeared the big sea mammals are gone again. And Keith is screaming in the loud haler that they have work to do.

"This isn't a pleasure cruise. Now get fishing."

The next pot is brimming with keepers again, leaving Soper no time to continue with the third degree on the greenhorn. But it's hard for him to keep his mouth closed, and the one closed to him is Lenny.

"Lenny, what do you know about the new greenhorn?"

"Why."

Lenny is less then interested, the new kid does his work on deck, and the food is great, That's all that matters to Lenny.

"Nothing, just asking."

Travis who just happened to stand next to them sorting crab overheard and he is more than willing to spill.

"I heard he had some hush hush job for the navy."

"Navy? He's Dutch not American."

"So, the Dutch have a navy too, right?"

Art is also contributing his two cents.

"Yeah, sure they do. The Dutch used to own New York, but they sold it to the English. Like we bought Alaska from the Russians."

Monte is trying to make sense of it all.

"So if the Princess used to work for the Dutch navy, why was he stranded in st Paul, that's American soil."

Now Crosby has a chance to show off that he did learn something in college.

"NATO."

And that one word gets him the stares from all of his colleagues.

"You know, after world war two? NATO was formed. And both America and the Netherlands are in it. Just like Great Britain, Sweden, France."

Now Soper sees the big picture.

"So the 'job' that got the Princess stranded on st Paul was a secret NATO thing with the American, Dutch and Swedish navy, that's also why he has all those 'standard issue weird stuff'. Why doesn't he just say so?"

And now Lynn feels like he is the only one with a brain.

"Duh dude, Secret thing?"

And all the smart men just nod and by now they are done sorting crab. And the count is way off. But hey that was to be expected. Will is standing by for the next pot with a filled baitbag and two cod. So everybody scrambles to get the next pot up and emptied. It's a good thing that Keith is driving slow and happy about the full pots and not pms-ing. Because if it was psycho Sig up in the wheelhouse it would have gotten nasty.

Having figured out the Princess secret job, pulling full pots with creepily good weather and knowing that they have a very tasty meal coming, the crew is more than happy. So when they only have about five more pots to go the Princess is send inside to get the meal going. All are looking forward to a nice hot meal, all except Travis. His last dinner was shoe leather with mush, and breakfast was undercooked eggs with burned toast. But this time he is going to make sure he is the first to get his plate piled high, and if he is the first one he can pick the best pieces, right?

Cleaning up is done in a hurry, undressing is also done in record time. The smells emitting from the galley are sumptuous. And Travis makes it as the first one of the deck crew, only to see that Keith already has his plate piled high with delicious looking food. Grabbing a plate and some cutlery Travis inches into his corner and starts by spearing the biggest, most succulent looking piece of meat. Deciding that a good piece of meat is the most important thing. No shoe leather for him this time. And cutting the meat it is like butter, smelling it ( yeah he can smell something again even if breathing thru his nose is still a bit difficult) the meat smells great. But when he puts it in his mouth it is tasteless shoe leather again. Only spitting out food is so against his nature he just chews and chews until he can swallow it. Looking around at the others enjoying their food he feels resentment until he sees Soper chewing and chewing with a disgusted expression as well. Looks like he isn't the only one anymore.

With his food not worthy of real concentration Travis starts up conversation.

"Keith, what's with the weather?"

"It's good. So what?"

"Good? It's boring. Good thing the camera crew isn't on board because they would be driving us insane with questions now they don't have to worry about their life."

Now this gets Will's attention.

"Camera crew?" and he is sounding worried.

Giving the greenhorn his trademark toothy grin Travis explains.

"Yeah, the Deadliest Catch camera crew, the two most obnoxious guys you will ever meet. And they film your every move and keep asking stupid questions. They always love to harass the greenhorn. Haven't you seen the show?"

Concentrating hard on getting a wayward pea on his fork Will answer is short.

"Nope, not much cable coverage where I used to work."

The guys just look at each other over Will's head. They knew it, secret navy stuff for sure. And baiting the greenhorn is fun, sure. But not if it is about something important as the armed forces. Respect for the ones defending the peace.

So after a short pause conversation returns to the boring weather. Sure it's nice to be pulling pots at a balmy fifty degrees and no wind. But after two days it is time for some real weather again. No storm but just enough wind to keep the flies from their back and their minds on the job at hand.

Please review, even if you don't like it.


	11. Chapter 11

I see that there are people reading my story, but no reviews? see that little button at the botom, push it and please leave a review. PLEASE

still dont own anything or making any money of this.

Chapter 11

During the night the weather picked up a bit. And Will is having trouble getting breakfast ready. So it is a simple breakfast of porridge, toast, some bacon and eggs, but no pancakes or fancy omelettes. But food is food, and even the porridge tastes great according to most. Travis and Soper still seem to have a problem with their taste buds, their porridge is more like a corn starch in water suspension. The bacon and eggs are undercooked again and the toast is burned or still frozen. Soper even manages to get a piece of toast that is burned on the outside and still frozen on the inside. And with Soper being one of the old-timers on the boat he has some sway and he isn't shy to use it.

"Barbie, give me your food."

Lynn isn't planning to, he likes his food and he doesn't appreciates hazing this early in the morning, of this late is his career on board.

"No, forget it."

"Give Me." And with Soper is going for a threatening pose, Lynn is fast to give over his food.

And he discovers he has made a good trade. Soper has more food left on his plate, and it tastes great. Soper still isn't happy, but he knows he can't strong-arm anybody else into giving over their food so he chews his way thru the remains of the half frozen and half burned toast. Not sure if he is imagining things or is this plate of food even worse than the one he had two minutes ago. And if Will keeps grinning like this he is going to swipe that smile of his face no matter what Keith is going to do.

Soper's weird behaviour is being noticed by all this time. This is not a normal case of no Coffee in time. Or hazing of the newbee, this is weird even for Soper. So by the time they are on deck again Monte has a little talk with his colleague.

"Mate, what's up? Are you losing it or something? Because, taking Lynn's food? Come on, that's weird even for you."

Soper isn't talking just grunts a bit, doing his job and being a party pooper for the rest of the day, not that it is working. The others are happy campers. All the pots come up brimming with keepers. The weather has picked up some more, but not so much that it becomes scary, just enough to keep it interesting.

And by the time they are almost done with the last string for the day Keith informs them that they are only going to pick up the string that was set in the dessert and then go in for off load and pick up the camera crew again. A new record for stuffing the boat. So Will gets send inside to prepare a real feast.

And how ever he does it he does it. But this time they even have cake and apple-pie as desert. With fresh strawberries after a week at sea. Even Monte has given up on figuring out how the Princess does it. And nobody notices that both Soper and Travis are still on a 'diet'.

The time to steam to the last string is too short for sleeping, so the guys just settle in for a movie after some discussion about what movie to watch, they all settle for some movie about a nuclear submarine with a saboteur on board, good actors too. Will prepares three big bowls of popcorn for during the movie. So after ten minutes everybody is settled down with some popcorn within grabbing distance and a favourite non alcoholic drink in their hands.

About halfway the movie Will is snorting in amusement, seriously ruining the movie for the others. Because it isn't meant as a comedy.

"So what's so funny?" Crosby is scowling. "Either explain or let us enjoy our movie."

"They've got it all wrong, that's what's so funny." But Will gets the idea and he goes up to the wheelhouse to see if Keith needs anything.

Coming down again to get Keith's coffee and some popcorn Will takes a quick peek at the screen and nearly doubles over with mirth again, earning him some deathray looks from the guy's.

"Sorry, leaving, just getting something for the boss."

Keeping his eyes averted Will scurries around the galley getting everything he needs. He is even so friendly to refill the popcorn bowls.

Back upstairs in the wheelhouse Keith also wants to know something.

"Why aren't you watching the movie?" he actually wants to know something else but is stalling on asking. Because what will happen if the answer is No. Keith really wants to keep this greenhorn for a bit longer.

Will is scratching his head again, that Bering sea itch is really annoying. At first he's considering telling the truth, only he changes his mind almost right away.

"Well, hu... actually I have already seen this movie. Thought to come up here and talk a bit. But if you prefer to be alone I can leave."

"No you can stay, but I have to concentrate so don't talk too much."

"Okay."

And with that Will sits down and enjoys the view from the wheelhouse. He has never seen the Bering sea like this before. And it's pretty impressive, watching the sea go up and down like this. From on top of the water instead of from below it.

By the time the movie watchers downstairs are done watching the fist buoys come in sight. Keith grabs the loud hailer.

"Gear up boys, time to earn some money again."

The string in the dessert is indeed producing the most crab of all the strings so far. More than 250 keepers per pot. So it is hard work, emptying, sorting, rebaiting and resetting all fifty pots. But with the last three pots they really have to look for a place to stuff them. Everybody is happy and partying on deck. And when they are done it is a twelve hour steam to St Paul so everybody just scrambles to clean the deck and after that a race is on to the showers. Will is the last one and when he finally ready to climb over Lynn to get to his own spot he sees that Lynn is dreaming. The kid is trashing in his sleep and mumbling something about stop and don't. Clearly not a nice dream, so Will isn't feeling to bad when his left foot 'accidentally' kicks Lynn in the shoulder waking him up enough to stop dreaming and turning over, opening more room for Will to sleep.

Off load is going the way those things always go. And with his deck crew taking care of business Keith has some time to have a long overdue talk with his greenhorn.

"Will come up here for a minute."

After stripping off his raingear Will enters the wheelhouse.

"So Will, I know you only signed on for one trip, but would you like to work for the rest of King crab?

"Sure. Don't have anything better to do."

"Great. Time to celebrate. And the camera crew isn't coming until morning either" And grabbing the loud hailer Keith makes the announcement that the crew is free to go for a drink that night. They won't be leaving St Paul straight after off loading. There is time to party first.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

The gang entered the bar. It is a bit run down but hey, they can afford it and it's the only place left in town.

Closing the ranks is Will. As the newbie he is still the last in line. Even if the others would prefer to have him in front where they can see him. Trust is a difficult thing for Travis and Soper, having the princess at their back is scary. But honour is even more valuable. Or so they still think.

Finding a booth at the back the gang starts sliding in. Leaving Will to get the drinks, so he starts to take their orders when he all of a sudden notices that he has lost the interest of his fellow wizardians.

And to be honest he has seen smarter looking sheep, and Monte needs to go to the dentist, his wisdom teeth are showing. Turning around Will freezes for just a second. Then he murmurs something into Crosby's ear. But Crosby isn't paying attention, he is seeing a vision.

Standing on Crosby's foot is the only way for Will to get his attention.

"OW. What the fuck did you do that for?"

"I know I know. Just remember that for the rest of the evening I am going to be acting crazy. Don't think anything of it."

Nodding Crosby pretends to understand completely what Will means. Or so he thinks at the time. He would like to behave crazy as well.

Only the way Will starts acting is too crazy even for Crosby.

Will starts mincing forwards to the vision's wagging his hips seductively, or so its seems to Crosby.

" Seffy Darling. How Wonderful to See You."

And Will embraces the first red headed vision, the one in the skimpy green dress. The two others who are clearly twin sisters and are dressed in light and dark blue, are hanging back a bit. Giving the three perfunctory kisses in the air Will frantically whispers in Seraphina's ear

.

"I'm Will to them and enjoying myself. So please don't blow my cover. If you do, I will deforest an island. Got it?"

The red headed vision plasters an extremely fake smile on her handsome face and gives Will three Parisian air kisses. Before heading over for the booth where the sheep impersonators are still in shock their lower jaws hanging on the table. The only thing missing is the puddle of drool. And she is dragging a unwilling Will with her.

"So Handsome, Who of These Fine Specimen Is Yours? I would just Hate to Shoot under your Pigeons."

And that with a delightfully wicked smile, that has all the guys just trembling to get it directed at them. Her voice is pure music, like angels singing.

Scowling Will frees his arm and answers. "None of them is mine Seffy, I have better taste. So feel free ladies."

And the ladies don't need any further invitation. Within seconds the three red hot redheads are squeezed between the more experienced fishermen, who by know have managed to get there lower jaws from the table and into place again.

Seffy, or Seraphina as she prefers to be called, the first and leading redhead, gives Will a big smile, and orders a round for the table.

Within 5 minutes Will is back with a round of mimosa's.

Getting her drink she smiles at Will again.

"You know I all of a sudden remember why I hate you so much sugar. Now go away and let us play."

Not feeling like sticking around, and happy with his chance to escape Will tries to get Lynn and Crosby save. But the boys clearly don't want to be saved. So he leaves for the boat and turns in for a early night.

The next morning at seven, Keith and Will are enjoying an elaborate breakfast when the others come crawling on board. No one wants any breakfast. Travis going so far as to turn green and start pucking from the smell of fried eggs.

Keith raises an eyebrow and looks at Will.

"What the hell is wrong with them?"

Grinning Will answers."They have run into some of my former colleagues. And those "ladies" are three insatiable nymphos with sponges for liver."

The lingering Lynn just nods in agreement and cant suppress a shudder at the accurate description. But he just has to know.

"So how did you survive working with them?"

Grinning even wider the response is."Well, you might not have noticed but I pretend to be Extremely gay whenever they are around."

Not even bothering to suppress the shudder to that answer Lynn makes his way to his bunk.


	13. Chapter 13

Well my loyal readers, I have a little problem. I was planning on making Monte Coburn the "bad" one in my story. You know the greenhorn torturing meany. Only now Monte has gone and done something really nice for me personally. So I am out of a "bad"person to write. Because Lenny doesn't work as the evil one. And to just make Soper the nasty one. Not my style. And to write in some extra characters just to make them take the part of nasty one. Also not my style, and there just isn't enough room on the Wizard for an extra two or three deckhands. And making the camera men fill that spot. Wouldn't work either, I am pretty sure that Keith would have very little problems kicking them off board at the first offload if they interfered with the normal way of things.

So my story is going to be short after this. Just a few more chapters.

Chapter 13.

Now the party animals have taken to their bunks, Will looks at Keith from under his really preposterous long eyelashes. Keith hadn't noticed those before but now he is intrigued by them. So much so that Will has to repeat his question.

"Why aren't you getting mad at them?"

Keith just shrugs. "We have to wait for the camera guys anyway and the weather is keeping them from landing, so they have been stuck in Dutch. They should be here later today if the weather holds up. Or tomorrow. Gives the idiots time to nurse their hangovers, and the fishing this trip was so good that we have time." And after a short laugh Keith continues. "And I am trying to stay relaxed this trip. Or more relaxed that is, what happened to Phil has scared me half to death."

"Who is Phil?"

Sighing Keith starts telling.

"Phil was one of the other captains on Deadliest catch. We weren't the best of friends but I knew him well. He died during last opie season, he suffered a major stroke while on the boat. He wasn't living healthily, but still. So no more stress for me. And the fact that you are doing some healthy cooking is helping a lot. Just don't run off before we are done with kingcrab, and if you want to stick around for opie I would be glad. Never mind Monte or the others, torturing the greenhorn is just part of the game."

Will takes his time to answer.

"I would like to stick around, only I can't be on camera, at all. Because this is a temporary thing for me, and being on TV would make my real job impossible."

Now Keith has something to think about, and he can't promise Will isn't going to get his face on TV.

"I'll have a talk with the DC crew. But no promises unfortunately. Just don't talk to the camera men, seems to work with Norman Hansen."

After that a comfortable silence ruled again. For a bit at least. Pretty soon Keith retreated to his wheelhouse again. And Will wend to do some shopping while he had a chance.

When Will got back to the boat he saw two guys trying to get on board with a suitcase. A suitcase? Even he knew that suitcases where bad luck.

"Hey guys, you two the camera men?"

The oldest one of the two turned and looked Will up and down for a bit before answering.

"Yeah, I am Dough and this is Jeff, he is new on board so he has to do the deck, I am stuck with Keith in the wheelhouse. And you are?"

Shaking the offered hands Will saw it as the perfect opportunity to get something straight.

"I'm Will, the new greenhorn for this season and Opie, but only if I don't get my face on TV. Nothing illegal, no warrants out for me or anything like that. But my regular job is kind of undercover and if anybody recognizes me, I'm a goner, and I like my life at the moment. Now let me help you get all this gear on board."

With that Will grabbed the biggest case, he now saw it wasn't a suitcase but more like a case with equipment, and scrambled on board with the case on his shoulder as if it weight nothing at all, leaving the two Discovery guys staring.

"Now what, we can't just not film him, can we?"

Jeff was new to all of this. But Dough kind of knew what to do.

"Give me thirty minutes and I will have an answer." And he took of trying to find a payphone to get into contact with his head producer. Was he supposed to film the greenhorn without his permission, or could they film around the kid?


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14.

Keith had seen the little exchange on deck and was happy that his camera crew was finally here. He knew Dough, a good guy who had helped right after that freak wave two years back. This Jeff guy was new, the last one only lasted about as long as the greenhorn, and functioned even worse. So good riddance as far as Keith was concerned. Now let's see what the new guy could do. But first things first. Getting up he heads down to the galley.

"Will get over here."

Within seconds Keith is face to face with a clean shaven, eager and energetic looking Will. Man doesn't this kid ever get tired or worn out?

"What's up?"

Rubbing his face Keith feels every one of his years, his eyes feel as if they have sand in them from the lack of sleep, the bags under his eyes need their own zipcode. And shaving? He can't for the live of him remember when he did that last.

"Look Kid, the camera crew is here now. And as I said, no way I can promise you won't be on it. So what is the big deal?"

Somehow there is something very interesting going on with Will's feet, because that is the only place he looks.

"I can't tell. Let s just say I needed a place to lay low, and st pauls seemed like the perfect solution, nobody gets there unless you really have to. A fishing boat seemed save enough as well. Never figured it would have a camera crew on board."

"Anything dangerous going on?"

"Not to you guys, or it shouldn't be." And with a laugh. "Nothing more dangerous than my bodyguards in the shape of three redhead nympho's."

Now Keith is really confused. Red head nympho's, bodyguards? The same ones that worn out his crew in one night on the town?

"What is going on? Tell me or get off my boat."

Pretty much for the first time since meeting Will looks Keith straight in the eyes.

"Okay, but this has to stay between us."

"Okay. Just tell me, is it that secret navy stuff the guy's are going on about?"

Now it is Will's turn to look surprised.

"Secret navy stuff? Have I been that transparent?"

Keith finds himself reassuring his greenhorn, even if he first wanted to strangle the truth out of the kid.

"No not you personally, but all that weird stuff you have just gave you away, the epirp, the fancy ceramic knife. And how well you hold yourself on the boat."

"Right, the epirp, can't really help that. And yeah, it is secret stuff, but not so much navy, that wouldn't have me hiding over here and all that. But it really is important that I don't make it on TV."

"So what is it, are you in trouble with the law?"

"No the law and I are good. More than good. But there are quite a few persons that are not to in agreement with the law that would like me to disappear for real. Not just hide out on a boat in the middle of nowhere."

Keith is having a light bulb moment.

"Oh, you're in some sort of witness protection program. Why not just say so, we will keep you save and away from the camera. Really if any of the camera guys gives you trouble just let me know. I'll handle it."

Now it is Will's turn to just smile with relief. This went a lot better than imagined.

Only Keith isn't done yet.

"And what about….."

Just at that time Dough shows up, he has his answer, the kid isn't important for the story line. So they can leave him out. But once more Will is saved by the bell from too many annoying questions.

All of a sudden Keith is all business again.

"Kid, wake up the others. We're leaving in thirty." And he heads up to his own spot at the wheel. Dough hot on his heals to start filming.

Will is gone, jumping in and out of staterooms shouting. And Jeff is left to make sense of it all. Now he is the new kid on the boat. Poor Jeff, now he will get hazed.


	15. Chapter 15

Sorry for the long wait. Hope you enjoy the new chapter. Had to re think the way it was going to go.

EwaB

Chapter 15.

Somehow Will managed to get everybody up and moving. Even if it went with a lot of grumbling. Seems Travis was having a really nice dream again by the expression on his face while asleep that fell in a ridiculous fashion when he opened his eyes enough to see Will.

"Go away, I'm not awake yet."

"Sorry Travis, captains orders, we're leaving in thirty minutes and he wants everybody awake and working."

The others had similar complaints but everybody was awake, dressed and fed by the time it was time to start moving.

The real harassment was directed at Jeff. The newbie decided that it was the best way to introduce himself by shuffing his camera in the face of everybody who exited his stateroom before they managed to hit the head. let's just say that the fact that the guy survived was more because the crew was to hang over to be bothered with throwing the annoying guy overboard than Jeff's social graces.

And by the time the Wizard was out of the harbor it was clear that Jeff really wasn't equipped with any social grace, or survival instinct. He managed to royally piss off even Lenny with a ill timed attempt at humor. And honestly, Lenny is about the sweetest, easiest going guy on board.

Only up side as far as Will and Lynn where concerned is that they are now officially off the hook. Jeff is the newest fresh meat. And he is as tender as they come and wonderfully annoying to booth.

Once they hit the pots and it is time to start pulling them it seems Jeff does know how to survive, kind of. Somehow he keeps under foot of everybody but manages to annoy everybody only so far that they start screaming but not so far that they get physical. Sure some pushing and pulling but that is as far as it gets. He even manages to steer clear of the swinging pots and other hazards.

But back to the first pot of this trip. It is good but not spectacular, so Keith wants to stack the pots and get them to the honey spot he found earlier. But the weather is pretty rough, and stacking pots isn't easy, especially with a always in the way greenhorn camera guy on deck.

"Idiot, you're in the way again. Do you have a death wish. MOVE."

Yep Jeff has a nickname. Deathwish seems to stick to him like glue. Or Idiot. It is a bit of a toss up to which one is going to win. So far pretty much fifty fifty.

Jeff scramble's out of Sopers way only to bump into Will making his way to the pot carrying two baitbag's and a cod, the impact is enough to send both to the deck.

"Get off of me. And even if you have a deathwish, don't take me with you."

With one hard push Will is free of his camera wheeling deadweight and on his feet again. But one of the baitbag's washed off the deck and now Will has to go get an extra one. Even more work that he isn't looking for so still grumbling under his breath Will makes it to the bait bin. Jeff hot on his heels. Even if he has his orders not to film the greenhorn, it is just his way to be annoying as hell.

Pushing his camera in Will's face Jeff starts with his stupid questions. Will just totally ignores Jeff and gets his second bait bag refusing to answer because he isn't going to be on the show anyway. Just as Will turns around to get the bait to the next pot a big wave crashes over the deck and the pot that Lynn was tying down brakes free and goes straight at the bait station. Crashing into the baitbin and taking everything that was in the way with it.

Lynn starts screaming like a little girl.

"Will…..Will…..you're alright? Will….." But no answer comes.

The others are frozen in their spots for just a few seconds but it feels like forever before they start moving. Keith screaming into his loudhailer for everybody to tell him what is going on and if everybody is alright. Knowing full well that his headcount is two people short.

The deck crew attacks the pod that has somehow managed to cram itself into the small place between the cookie grinder and the bulkhead. Monte in charge giving orders and screaming for Will or Jeff to answer. But the noise of the wind and the waves is to loud to hear anything. At first.

Then Crosby who is closest hears a very angry Will.

"Jeff, keep still, if you stick that elbow between my ribs one more time I will break it. Trust me on this one."

The answer is not clear but Crosby is really enjoying the blubbering crying sounds coming from Jeff. Seems like both are alive and Will is in charge.

It takes about fifteen minutes before the two are set free. Will is a bit worse for wear and complaining about sore ribs where Jeff kept trying to create space with his elbows.

Jeff needs a change of clothes, but is fine otherwise, physically. Mentally Jeff is a wreck.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

The deck crew attacks the pod that has somehow managed to cram itself into the small place between the cookie grinder and the bulkhead. Monte in charge giving orders and screaming for Will or Jeff to answer. But the noise of the wind and the waves is to loud to hear anything. At first.

Then Crosby who is closest hears a very angry Will. Now that is a first, Crosby had trouble recognizing the voice since Will normally only talked in that husky voice. Screaming it sounded pretty impressive, high-pitched but that is excusable if you almost met your maker two minutes earlier.

"Jeff, keep still you're not dying, yet. But if you stick that elbow between my ribs one more time I will break it. Trust me on this one."

The answer is not clear but Crosby is really enjoying the blubbering crying sounds coming from Jeff. Seems like both are alive and Will is in charge.

Soon after Will is heard screaming and cursing up a storm. The first time anybody heard him use that kind of language.

"Deathwish, you didn't…. really, you should be wearing depends. This is BLEEEP disgusting."

It takes about fifteen minutes before the two are set free. Will is a bit sore around the ribs and complaining about needing a change of waders because Jeff has a little issue with his bladder control.

Jeff needs a change of clothes, but seems fine otherwise, physically. Mentally Jeff is a wreck, he lost his left boot and sock and is convinced that his left foot was crushed off during the ride on the pot. The boot and sock must have washed overboard because they are nowhere to be seen, but there is no blood either, and Jeff's foot is firmly attached to the rest of his leg.

Keith orders Jeff inside and after a quick once over by both Keith and Dough, Jeff is declared whole and send to bed to get over the shock. First Dough apologizes to Keith and after he goes out on deck to apologize to the rest of the crew for the latest idiot that has been foisted on them. Will just keeps working with the rest of the crew for the rest of the string but with a disgusted expression on his face as if he is constantly smelling something dirty, and that from the guy working and getting rained on with frozen rotten fish guts. The remainder of the deck work this day is now being filmed by Dough who is indeed a lot better than Jeff was. Sure this guy is also in the way for a big part of the time. But he clearly doesn't have a deathwish and the questions are a lot less stupid as well. So by the end of the string the crew is relatively relaxed again and Will is send inside for dinner.

After a spectacular dinner, for the whole crew for a change, even Travis, Monte and Soper are able to enjoy dinner this time. The chicken is perfectly cooked with fresh rosemary. The veggies are nice and a dente, the fried potatoes crispy on the outside and perfectly moist on the inside with a freshly made mayonnaise that is just a bit on the lemony side, seems Will has an antipathy against prefab food and will go to almost any length to prevent serving stuff that tastes as if it came from a jar. Dessert is a very nice flan with almond shavings on top, a Spanish pudding like dessert.

After dinner Monte is on wheel watch. The rest is sleeping. Most are sleeping and dreaming weird but nice dreams, almost every one of them involving Will in one way or another. Lynn is dreaming about Will in Australia again. Travis is in the kitchen again. Art is on the dance floor reproducing the dance scene with John Travolta from Saturday night fever. Crosby is in a free fighting competition and Will is the reverie wearing high heels and eyeliner. Keith is in court defending Will on some bogus charges. Lenny is just eating at an all you can eat buffet and Will is the one cooking. And Soper is finally getting answers to his questions. Dough sees the pot taking out his buddy time and time again, not a very nice dream that. And poor Jeff relives the ride from hell on the pot, and he feels, really feels his left leg being crushed just below the knee and sees the rest washing down the shit shute with that weird detached feeling he had during the real event as well. And he just can't wake up, no matter how hard he tries to.

The only two not sleeping are Monte and Will. Monte because he has wheel watch and is supposed to be awake. Will for a completely different reason. Will is standing outside on the little walkway beside the house on the opposite side from the wheel. Normally not the safest place to be. Also not the place where you expect someone who just that day had a brush with death on the Bering sea. But Will has business to do.


	17. Chapter 17

Sorry for the long wait. But I had a serious case of writers block. And the real world wasn't playing along either.

Feel free to review, but no flames.

Thank you.

Chapter 17

" Sis, Serafina….I know you are near, get your skinny butt over here." And within a few seconds Serafina is flying on her pine branch next to where Will is.

And a fiercely whispered conversation takes place.

"What the hell did you think you were doing?"

"What? That guy was annoying you, I managed to get rid of him. Is he dead?" And that last bit without a concern in the world.

"No, he ain't dead. But I nearly was. Or I should have been, and anymore of these magically survived 'close' calls and my fellow crew might get suspicious. "

At that Serafina just looks angry, and flies a bit closer and starts yelling at Will. "Well getting your face all over this television thingy is no good either. It could put all of us in danger."

Will pushes his back to the wheel house and holds out his hands to keep Serafina from colliding with the metal.

"Sera, trust me, it won't. I keep telling all of you that this age of reason is ideal for us. They always make up their own reasonable explanation for the most weird stuff. Right now I am marooned on st Paul while working some secret navy thing for NATO, whatever that is. And you seem to be something military as well. Sebastianne and Segesta are identical twins. That one still has me in stitches by the way, Lynn has an amazing imagination. And I am also in something called witness protection program. And that is a good reason to keep me off this TV thingy. Didn't you watch any of that while in st Paul, it's fun, trust me, and nobody believes what they see. They really don't."

Looking daggers at Will Serafina keeps a bit more distance and hisses under her breath.

"Are you telling me that not even that local recognizes us for what we are? They do have stories you now."

Grinning now Will answers.

"Sure, stories and even movies. They were watching one last week that had witches and Icebears and all, and still, nobody suspects anything. But having you colliding with the boat in the middle of the Bering sea might be a bit hard to explain even for this very inventive crew. So go away, find your own play thingy and stop interfering, I can handle myself. And keep those two young friends of you on a short leash, they are annoying."

The fight now clearly out of Serafina she more or less slumps on the pine branch, but she needs to have a last say.

"Okay I'll go, but just a warning, Segesta is breeding and it is with twins, one of each. So the tall one with the curly hair and nice teeth will be expecting soon." And with that she flies off but not before she aimed a good hard kick to the side of the wheelhouse.

And before Will had a chance to object Serafina is gone and refusing to get back, Monte is looking out of the window trying to see what is going on with his boat, did he hit a piece of ice? All Will could do now was go back inside and get in bed with his young friend, worried about when Crosby would start getting morning sickness.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Breakfast was spectacular again, seems the Princess went for sweet this time, French toast, waffles, pancakes, crêpes suzette and a big bowl with all kinds of fresh fruit. And the crew is unanimous in their conclusion. Will is going to stay on the boat. Even if it means drowning the camera's in order to keep the Princess happy. Nobody is messing with their favourite cook and greenhorn. On deck it is decided that the Princess is promoted to throwing the bags over the side. And that is going just fine as well. Jeff or Deathwish is the one filming out on deck again, only it seems his nickname is rapidly changing to Tinkle Tina, and he learned to keep out of the way sort off. But his annoying questions remain. And since the Princess is off limit and he is if he is honest to himself quite terrified with the Princess after his nightmarish experience yesterday. He is now aiming primarily on Art. The other quite one, and almost as much a challenge as Norman Hansen.

And Art isn't happy, but employing the same strategy that Norman has. No answer to any question and turning his back on the camera every chance he has.

Time goes on and soon everybody has found his rhythm again and the strings go fast. Will keeps up the good work, and the meals are most satisfactory up to the only major spat he has with the captain. That was on the fourth day out, the crew is hauling pots again but the end of the string is in sight and the Princess has just been send inside to get cooking when the smoke alarms go off all over the boat. Keith starts screaming in panic to the crew to get inside and check out where the fire is. And to put it out or, heaven forbid, if that isn't possible to get into survival suits and the live raft. The smoke is even bellowing up into the wheelhouse, thick black rubbery smelling smoke. So a stampede starts with Lenny and Soper running towards the engine room and the others checking everywhere else. When Lenny throws open the door to the engine room even more smoke comes bellowing out into the house. Keith is getting ready to send out a mayday when Will is running upstairs into the wheelhouse. Grabbing Keith by the shoulders Will starts yelling as well.

"There is no fire, anywhere. I am grilling meat and forgot to dismantle the noise maker."

Keith calms down a bit. But the crew is by now running around the inside of the boat in full raingear looking for the fire. And Lenny is certain there is something wrong, with all that thick black rubbery smelling smoke in the engine room, but he can't for the live of him find it. Soon the galley is full of smoke that smells like a barbeque gone wrong, but nowhere else, and there is no fire in the engine room that much is sure.

Ordering Mouse upstairs and to watch the boat Keith go's down to the galley to check up on his kitchen. The galley is indeed blue with smoke but no fire. The guys have all made it into there as well and they all try to rapport that at the same time. All the while the smoke alarm is screaming.

"SHUT UP, everybody"

Keith can scream with the best of them that is for sure. And in one fluent motion he grabs the smoke detector and pulls out the battery, now the noise is much better.

"Everybody out NOW." Grumbling everybody moves off and Will tries to get in between Lynn and Crosby but no such luck.

"Princess you stay here."

"Aye Aye, captain."

Dough is filming it all and enjoying himself, even if he knows that the material isn't useable because of Will's special status.

"Why are you putting my boat on fire. And don't ever mess with the smoke detectors hear me, never ever ever mess with any kind of alarm, had enough of that with Lynn last year. The idiot." And with that Keith reinserts the battery and puts the smoke detector back in its place and puts a generous helping of duck tape on top of it. NO greenhorn is going to mess with that puppy without him noticing.

"Yeah captain. But you said you wanted to eat more healthy and grilling is healthier than frying or baking, a lot less fat. Not my fault that grilling gives a lot of smoke."

"So, grill at a lower temperature, stop burning the boat. Fire on a boat is everybody's worst nightmare."

Now Will is grinning. "I could grill at a lower temperature, but how salmonella resistant are you all?"

Keith takes a second to think about it. But he isn't a successful captain by not being able to take a decision. " Then don't grill. Fry or bake stuff, never mind the fat."

And with that the dinner that evening was less than stellar and Will lost his inspiration to cook up a storm. The food wasn't bad, still well above what they are used to, but not really extravagant any more, it clearly tasted prefab.

As a result time is going slower, no more brilliant meals to look forward too, and fishing seems less fun, home starts calling the guys more and more. Monte just grumbles and snaps at everybody. Soper starts getting curious after the weird greenhorn again without the great food to distract him, but every time he is getting close something happens and he has to go somewhere else again. Lenny and Travis are still enjoying the food and the fact that they don't have to cook and minding their own business. Lynn is doing his best to avoid flirting but according to Crosby he is doing so all the time. Or is Crosby just jealous? He sure is paying Will a lot of attention, and Will is paying a lot of attention to Crosby. And it is probably a good thing that Crosby doesn't know that all that attention is just to see if he is getting morning sickness already. Art just looks on, scratches his eternal itch, and tries to sort out his own feelings because those are a mess. Must be a result of being stuck on a boat for so long, and the Princess most unmanly eyelashes.

But all good things come to an end. And so does King season. At the end of two very long weeks the last trip is done. The unload in Dutch goes the way such things go and after some extensive cleaning everybody is cleared to go home. Within minutes everybody is on the dock with their big bags on their shoulder waiting for the beaten up car that is going to take them to the airport. The only distraction is one smouldering redhead on the dock waiting for the Princess.


	19. Chapter 20

chapter 20

Just under four weeks later Will is back at the boat and boarding with the others. Preparing the boat had been a breeze. The weather was working along again and having the same crew on both trips also helped. And the down time was also very amusing, the redheaded twins also showed up again. And Crosby and Segesta have renewed their tryst. With a very interested audience keeping taps. But again all good things come to an end. So everybody is boarding and the lines are being cast off.

Crosby is still on the dock lip locked with his redheaded vision in light green. And it is a serious Lip Lock that has the rest of the crew whistling and howling. Keith is starting to scream that he is leaving without the lover boy if he doesn't get his ass in gear. He is in a bit of a hurry, because it will be Friday in just fifteen minutes and waiting a whole day is no good, but leaving on Friday is also not an option. Crosby jumps on as the dock crew are throwing the lines onto the deck and the boat is starting to leave. Only before the boat is even five feet from the dock Crosby looks and feels as if he had something bad to eat. Must be a bug from the plane or a bad burger, and before they boat is out of the harbor Crosby is chumming over the rail. Everybody settles in soon enough, Crosby taking to his bunk. The others sitting at the galley table comparing war stories about the last four weeks, Christmas and New year are heavily featured as are girlfriends, ex-wives, wives and kids. Seems Lynn managed to get engaged and un engaged within ten minutes one night. So he is the absolute winner this time. And with that everybody makes their still snickering way to their bunk's for a good night sleep and some nice dreams.

Art has wheel watch again. Not that he is complaining, he actually likes wheel watch on the way out of Dutch harbor. The weather isn't as great as during King crab but that is to be expected during Opie's but good enough to let his mind wander. While he is thinking his hands scratch all by themselves. It is warm and dry in the wheelhouse so he isn't wearing much, just his sweatpants. If he opens a window to cool down some Keith is going to blow a casket when he gets up. Somehow if he's warm and sweaty the itch that normally plagues him becomes even worse, so he never wears much clothing if he can avoid it. Out on deck is the only place he is really wrapped up, and the cold out there helps with the itch at first, but once the work gets going and he gets warm and sweaty the itch returns with a vengeance. He hates that itch, but nothing he ever tried worked

After some more scratching Art lets go of a big sigh and looks at his fingers. Yep blood underneath his fingernails again. He will have to cut them again. If he grows as much as a sliver of fingernail he finds that he will scratch until he bleeds. And he also knows that any doctor who just sees his nails knows he has an itch. His nails are shiny and polished looking, just from scratching. But no more scratching now he has drawn blood, so now in order to combat the itch Art just rubs himself against the back of the seat. Not that it helps, and it always reminds him of jungle book, where Baloe the bear is singing and scratching his back with a palm tree. That seemed to help Baloe, but nothing ever really helps him. He even tried some real palm trees while in the Philippines, just managed to get a nasty infection on his back.

He always likes this time alone, to get his head back into boat mode. Normally when he is on the boat he can't wait to get off, and when he is home he can't wait to get to the boat again. But last season was different, he liked it on the boat. It was confusing but nice. And once on land he tried, he really really tried to get a short term girlfriend and party some. But he couldn't. Every lady he met he found himself comparing with eyes like molten chocolate and preposterously long eyelashes, a nice firm ass. And the women fell short of the mark. And they all smelled wrong. Sure he knows he has a big nose, bigger than average. But that nose works better as average as well. And he didn't like the way any the women he met smelled. They smelled to sweet, flowery if he was lucky and artificial if he out of luck, or like sweat and other stuff, in short just wrong.

He wanted somebody who smelled like a warm pine forest after a thunderstorm. The smell of resin, ozone, damp soil steaming in the sun, lilies of the valley, dog roses, the musky smell of rutting deer and maybe way deep down the smell of skunk, Just a whiff of it. In short somebody who smelled like, well like Will.

Will is quietly coming up to the wheelhouse with two cups of hot coffee and some biscuits and finds himself standing on top of the stairs watching as Art is scratching, and scratching some more. By now Will has figured out that the itch isn't something catching, but he is no wiser as to what is going on.

He sees the blood on Arts back and sides, the angry red welts where the itch was the worst, or the easiest to reach. Because it seemed Art itches all over his body. Keeping quiet on the stairs for longer than he intended, he feels as if he walked in on something he isn't supposed to see, normally Art doesn't let his guard down around anybody, he already learned that during the last trip Art is the most stand offish of the guy's, and yeah Serafina knows him to well, that is exactly his type. But to keep standing there half way the stairs spying is only going to make it worse if Art does happen to look around, so he get his courage together and takes the last five steps into the wheelhouse.

"Art, I have some coffee and edible stuff for you. Do you want it over there?"

"Yeah, thanks Will, but why aren't you asleep?" is the smiling answer.

To Art sitting in the wheelhouse half naked and scratching wasn't anything special, and by him reacting so normally he put Will back at ease. Not that Art is feeling half as calm as he seems. His insides just did a summersault at the sound of Will his husky voice so close just as he was thinking about him.

"Can't sleep, Lynn keeps hugging and drooling on my feet. And Crosby is having a very serious case of seasickness it seems. He keeps throwing up."

That with an expressive rolling of the eyes. Art just laughs, thinking to himself that he wouldn't mind drooling all over Will's feet, or other body parts. (.NO. he did not just think that). Grabbing his coffee to give himself something to do that does not involve staring at a much to close standing and laughing Will or taking a big whiff of his unique and alluring smell, Art takes a big gulp of very hot coffee scalding his mouth in the process.

While Art is coughing and spurting hot coffee out of his mouth he feels a cool soft hand on his back where the worst itch is at the moment. Art freezes and Will pulls back his hand, as if he burned himself.

"Sorry, I didn't…I….Just Sorry." Will is mumbling while hurriedly making his way back to the stairs.

"Wait." Art blurts out.

Making Will stop in his tracks, turn around and give a surprised look at Art.

"I….I don't really mind, and I like the company. So stay. Please?"

Art has given up the fight against himself. Yeah he likes Will, really, really Likes Will. No hiding about that, not that he would ever act on it, unless of course Will makes the first move. But unless Will does act on it, Art is going to get whatever he can get. Even if that is just the amazingly complex earthy pine smell and some stray touches while Will is standing to close. And there can be a lot of such moments on a small boat and Art is going to make the most of those, even if it makes Crosby jealous.


	20. Chapter 21

Glad to see people reading. Hope you enjoy it.

Feedback or reviews are appreciated.

Chapter 21

Will walks back to Art and kind of nervously stands beside all the high-tech equipment that the wheelhouse is stuffed with. The silence is stretching again. Neither one knowing what to say. Art has the excuse of watching the waves, Will has no such excuse so after a bit he just scrapes his throat and ask something, anything to break this loaded silence.

"Art, what is with the scratching, you've even scratched so bad that your bleeding?"

To Art's surprise Will sounds and looks really worried as if he cares. And because of that Art tries to give the entire true answer even if that isn't much instead of his normal response.

"I don't know actually. Been to a bunch of doctors but they can't help me. Been thru a whole lot of tests and stuff, sometimes I had the feeling the doc's used me more like a guinea pig than that they were really trying to help me. But I've had it all my life, even as a kid, my mother dragged me to a lot of doctors as well. But it seems to be getting worse as I get older."

Art is somewhat stretched scratching and talking and at the same time as driving the boat so he isn't watching Will, when he suddenly feels Will taking his left, and scratching, hand. And again it feels kind of nice, no strike that, it feels really nice. So Art just lets him.

"For what kind of things did the doctors test you?" Will asks while softly massaging Art's hand, slowly moving from the palm of his hand to his fingertips and from the soft, if you can talk about soft parts on the hands of the crab fisherman, fleshy part of his thumb up to his thumbnail while Art is answering.

" Well, I don't really remember all of it, allergies, blood things, infections, parasite's, even cancer and a lot of hereditary stuff or so. But nothing. According to the doc's I am healthy and imagining stuff. Been to a shrink a couple of times too. Not that that had any effect. I'm pretty sure I drove the guy insane."

"Yeah, I can see you having that effect on people." Was Will's grinning response.

"Art, are you okay with playing guinea pig again, because I would like to try something? Sometimes people get itches from food allergies, and those are almost impossible to find in normal blood test. So if I cook special food for you for a week would you eat it, and nothing else. That way, if the itching stops we know it is because of the food. If the itching stays you can start eating normal again. Because than food clearly isn't the cause."

Art is interested, and he also likes the feeling of whatever Will is doing to his hand. And if keeping Will talking is also keeping him massaging his hand than Art is willing to talk about pretty much anything.

"Sure, I'm about willing to try anything by now. The medication that I've got is making me to groggy to be of use while working. So I can't use it on the boat. "

"Good, then from now on don't eat or drink anything unless I give it to you. Except water, you're always allowed to drink water." And letting go of Art's hand a smugly grinning Will leaves to get to the galley and start planning a allergy free diet for his itchy crew member.

By the time Art's wheel watch is over Monte is grumbling up the stairs after a very pleasant breakfast of bacon and eggs. Nothing to fancy, but a warm breakfast and some fresh coffee is always welcome at the start of a long and boring wheel watch on the way out of Dutch. It is also highly unexpected. So Monte is again quite happy to have the Princess on board.

Art gets a bowl of yogurt with nothing in it when he gets down. Not even some sugar or honey and for about five seconds he is considering telling the Princess to forget it with that special diet. But then a particularly annoying itch starts again right between his shoulder blades, you know the spot, where you can never really scratch, and the yogurt seems a lot less disgusting all of a sudden. And after the first careful spoon full he reconsiders all together, because this is without a doubt the best tasting yogurt he ever had. Not that sour watery stuff that you get at the local supermarket but creamy thick goodness, and with a big smile to Will, Art digs in. Maybe that anti itch diet won't be so bad after all.

After this breakfast both Art and Will turn in for the remainder of the night. Art in his stateroom with Travis and Will to defend his feet from the drooling Lynn and a puking Crosby.


	21. Chapter 22

Chapter 22.

As always the first day on sea is boring, nothing much to do but steaming to the grounds, so everybody just takes the chance to sleep, eat and talk some more. This time round the eating is more prominent than normally, but that is very simply because the food is better than it ever was before. Will is on a roll again. Breakfast is a royal spread of some kind of French toast he calls wentelteeftjes. Bread soaked in a mix of eggs, milk, sugar and cinnamon and fried in lots of butter. Also buttermilk pancakes, some sort of tiny pancakes the Princess calls poffertjes that he serves with icing sugar and for the ones who prefer a more hearty breakfast there are eggs sunny side up, bacon, sausages and white beans in tomato sauce.

The only one not enjoying any of the food is poor Crosby. Just the smell of all that food is enough to have him hugging the rail and feeding the seagulls. And Art isn't enjoying the huge spread but happily munching his way thru another bowl of yogurt. He is still itching and scratching, but Will said it could take two weeks before he noticed anything and so he is willing to wait.

After everybody is done eating, Crosby comes in again and he is by now light green and looking for some chemical assistance to feel better. But Will will have none of it. With a somewhat snappish.

"Give me those." Will steals Crosby's anti seasickness pills and washes them down the drain.

"Sit, eat and drink this. But slowly. It will make you feel much better than that artificial junk." And Will parks Crosby in a corner with a small bowl with yogurt with some cereal and a mug of a steaming hot mint, chamomile, something infusion. And staring down the others. "Okay, no more smoking inside while Crosby is feeling sick it only makes him puke more. So everybody out. NOW."

And once again, the Princess isn't challenged while he is in doctor mode, Keith is upstairs driving the boat so he won't override his greenhorn, so all the smoking party's can do is head outside to get their fill on nicotine. Lynn spends some time hanging around the door to see how Crosby is doing. And only after he sees that Crosby is getting some color back can he be convinced to go outside and smoke.

The rest of the day most of the crew is outside, cleaning shooting a breeze. Crosby is in bed with Lynn coming in every fifteen to thirty minutes just to see if he needs anything. Will tries to get his galley organized but that is hard with a hovering Lynn in the same place.

"Lynn sit down or get out. Stop standing in the way."

"I'm not in the way, and anyway, I have been here longer than you, you can't tell me what to do."

Yeah Lynn is throwing around fighting language.

"I can't? wanna bet? KEITH, LYNN IS DOING THE COOKING TONIGHT."

And before Keith has a chance to respond Lynn is sitting in his corner watching Will messing around in his galley, grumbling under his breath that the Princess doesn't fight fair.

By dinnertime everybody is bored. All the work they could do is done, the idea of setting pots early in the morning is actually welcome by now. But right now they have nothing to do but enjoy the smells coming from the galley. So when the Princess finally orders everybody inside there is a bit of a stampede and within seconds everybody is settled in and shoveling food onto their plates.

Art and the Princess are enjoying a chicken broth served in a cornbread dish. And the smell is amazing.

The others are having dinner as well but some other dishes, it is the first day of Art's anti itch diet and Will is being supportive and joining the poor itchy crewmate in his very restrictive diet. Not that Art is complaining at the moment. The one complaining is Travis.

"What's with the soup, and why are we stuck with T bone stake, baked potatoes, French fries, green asparagus with egg and butter sauce, green salad and homemade apple sauce?" While he is complaining Travis is hearing what he is saying. And with a chagrined "I just completely blew that complaint didn't I." He looks around the table to see all his crewmates grinning with their mouths full and nodding in agreement. Yep, not the best way to complain about not getting chicken soup while at sea, but on some level they are all agreeing, the soup and fresh baked cornbread does smell divine and huge chunks of perfectly cooked beef do get boring.

Will tries to explain why Art and he are eating something else but at that moment Keith makes a discovery.

Holding his fork up with a bite size purple thing on top he glares at Will. "What the bleeb is this?"

But before Will has a chance to respond Lynn pipes up, he is always so glad to show off his knowledge and he did help prepare the salad, cutting and washing the lettuce, chopping onions, garlic, apple, tomatoes, cucumber, red and green peppers and even the flowers . "That's a flower Keith. One of the purple ones."

Now Keith is glaring at a speedily deflating Lynn, he was so proud to know the answer and it backfired again. Cutting Keith short on a tong lashing of Lynn, Will jumps in.

"Lynn is right, it is a flower. A clover actually. The orange ones are Indian cress, purple and yellow violets, reddish pink hibiscus and more purple lavender in there. And they…" He doesn't get a change to get much further

Poor Crosby gives a gasp and clamping his hand in front of his mouth he mumbles something about poison and runs off to the toilet, again. It is a good thing that his normal spot in the corner was switched to one on the edge for this trip. No way that everybody could have gotten away in time. There is some consternation but Will completely ignores poor Crosby and goes on as if nothing happened.

" As I was saying, they are all perfectly edible." And meets the stares from the others with a rather bored expression. He isn't half as upset or concerned about Crosby's prolonged illness as the others are. For the last twenty-four hours Crosby his upset stomach and puking has been one of the hot items of the day. Mostly because the big guy has never had any kind of seasickness or other belly complaints before. Now he is constantly running to the toilet to either puke or pee. Seems he is becoming a bigger tinkle Tina than Tinkle Tina, formerly known as Deathwish, is.

Since the rest of his crew are eating their flower ridden salad without any clear negative effects Keith chomps down on his clover, but he can't help thinking he is eating cow fodder. Who ever heard of humans eating flowers.

"It's weird, eating flowers."

The grinning reply by Will is to be expected." cauliflower, broccoli and artichoke are flowers too. And you don't mind eating those do you?"

All they can do is affirm that yes they do eat those. Even if broccoli is nobodies favorite. From there on it is a small step to other not favorite vegetables and so on to fruit and other food. End result, nobody likes Brussels sprouts or sauerkraut. Will adds something called schorseneren or viper root in English to the list. The name alone is enough to convince everybody that it is true on Will's side. Nobody understands the excitement about Caviar, herring roe, quail or frog legs. And they are unanimous against Edgar Hansen's love of raw herring no matter how much good luck it might be.

Soon after dinner everybody is off to bed again, getting the last bit of rest before the opie grind starts.

Thanks for reading. If you enjoy the story , please let me know.


	22. Chapter 23

Chapter 23.

Waking up comes much too early for most of the crew. Travis isn't complaining because he has just finished his wheel watch and he is enjoying the first pancakes and waffles that Will is turning out. He is even allowed to taste some of the cornbread that just came from the oven.

Travis also knows that there is no ice to bust. Sure it is cold outside, and there is spray going up, but for some strange reason the ice isn't sticking to the boat or the pots. Nothing white in the boat. So setting is going to be a breeze compared to normal. He isn't even going to think how that is possible, just enjoy the relatively easy start of the season.

The others are grumpy as hell, that is until they meet their breakfast. Monte is going so far as to say they are going to be the only crew to get fat during Opie's instead of losing weight. Art and Crosby are happy with their yogurt, even if Art is going thru about the double amount of Crosby. Crosby even manages to keep it down this time. Seems the yogurt, special biscuits and herbal infusions are working miracles on his poor stomach. And that is a good thing since Will stole all Crosby's chemical medication and threatened the life off everybody who might give him some. Not even normal painkillers for Crosby. Nobody understands why but if the Princess wants it that way, that is the way it is going to be. Nobody is going to mess with the chef this season they all like to taste their food, not just smell it.

Soon Keith is screaming because he wants his crew on deck and working, not in the galley stuffing themselves on the good food. That he has two plates as full as can be standing next to him is nobody's business, right? One with the savory things and one brimming with the sweet tooth yummies. Dough is grinning behind his camera, asking the same silly questions as always.

"So Keith, what are your thoughts on this new season?"

Keith chews and swallows a couple of times to get his mouth empty. That crumpled egg is just too good to swallow without tasting.

"If the crew can get their butts in gear and get working, this season is going to be great. We have a lot of quota to catch. The weather is good but the ice is starting to come south already. And we are way op north to start fishing, according to the surveys there is lots of good crab over here. And the others seem to have stayed further south. " And inviting Dough closer with his camera Keith points at the plotter.

"The ice is already over here. So the most northern parts of the crab grounds almost covered. It has been a very cold December. Where is global warming if you want it hey? "

And into the loud hailer. "Ladies, this isn't a bed and breakfast kind of deal. Enough with the food. Start working. You're on a working crab boat not a three Michelin start restaurant. And it's time to start making money." And before he even has the microphone in its normal place again Keith is chewing away on a piece of waffle with pecan nuts and maple syrup, the syrup dripping down his chin. Dough making sure to get it on tape, this is the stuff he lives for while he is on the boat. But on the way back to his normal place he makes sure to get some more bacon into his mouth as well. Poor sods working out on deck won't be able to eat until lunch, and with Keith in fishing mode lunch isn't going to be as elaborate as Will can make it. But poptarts and other microwave stuff.

"Keith, is this really the first trip since you have a camera crew on board that you have the same crew for Opie's as you had for King's?"

Keith takes his time again to finish eating and completely forgets to wipe his chin maple syrup glistening all over.

"It is the same as at the end of King's, we had another greenhorn at the start of the season, remember that one? He was better than the two hour one on the Seabrook last year but not by much, only made it one trip, at least he hasn't robbed any banks yet." And looking at deck he sees his crew appearing . "There they finally are." Grabbing the loud hailer again "Nice of you ladies to show up. Now get ready to set some pots."

Travis and Art are on the stack, not Art's normal spot because of his scratching and therefore often occurring concentration lapses, but Crosby isn't able to work yet. Lynn and Will are doing bait. Soper on his normal place at hydraulics and Lenny and Monte doing most of the other stuff. Crosby is in his bunk to recover some more from his nasty flu, seasickness, whatever.

They manage to get most of the pots in the water that day, and are steaming back south for the last couple of strings. Lunch was indeed rather disappointing, just a few sandwiches, and as only hot course a wrap. But dinner is a very satisfying meal of lamb with rosemary, garlic, olive oil and brandy marinade, wrapped in bacon and roasted to a light pink perfection in the oven, thyme potatoes and green spring vegetables for most of the crew. Chicken broth and cornbread for Art and Crosby and no dessert for those two. The others are going for a rhubarb trifle with marshmallows and caramelized apple fritters.

Half way doing the dishes Travis starts to feel sorry for his two buddies. "Princess why don't Art and Crosby get a dessert?"

Halting half way up the wheelhouse stairs on his way for his watch Will turns around with a caramelized apple fritter sticking out of his mouth. He finally gets his chance to explain. "Art is on a restricted diet to find out if his itch is the result of a food allergy, and this light food makes Crosby's guts feel better." And after Will goes to the wheelhouse to give Keith a much needed break and a chance to sit down for dinner.

Now Lynn is beaming on the retreating Princess again. Will is completely rehabilitated in his view, because he had been nervous about why Will wasn't paying attention to Crosby. But now the Princess is making sure that Crosby is getting special food for his upset stomach and not just stealing his medicine Lynn's world is right side up again. His two stateroom buddies are good again.

And Lynn's sudden change of mood is a bit too obvious to the others especially the extremely touchy Crosby.

SMACK is the sound of Crosby's hand to the back of Lynn's head.

"I told you, no flirting with the Princess this trip."

Holding his head and pouting all Lynn can do is assure Crosby and the others. " I wasn't flirting, I really wasn't. I swear." Looking so hurt in the process that it is clear he at least didn't mean to flirt.

As a result Crosby breaks down in tears and in between sobs he apologizes to his buddy.

Making Keith dig in to his lambs meat sighing again, this is going to be another very very long season. The rest of the crew makes haste to disappear. A captain with PMS is already bad enough. Having Crosby suffering from mood swings too is just plain wrong.

Keith suffers Crosby's tears for a little while, he is used to a teenage daughter who also likes having a pity party for one, but even he has had enough after ten minutes and sends the still sniffling Crosby to his bunk, which results in even more waterworks, but those are for Lynn to deal with.

As soon as the others hear Crosby turning in they reappear and settle in to watch a movie, the break is too short for sleep but too long do nothing, it is the latest Pirates of the Caribbean movie. Everybody digging into the popcorn that is standing by. All but the still scratching Art, no popcorn for him, he is now rubbing against the back of his seat to get to a particularly annoying itch on his back while he is also trying to rub his left knee against Soper's leg. That nearly leads to a fist fight between Soper and Art, because Soper isn't all that charmed about being used as a rubbing post. But at that moment Blackbeard makes his first appearance in the movie and Soper forgets what he wanted to punch Art for. After the movie Keith heads up for the last string and the crew suits up for a couple more hours of grinding. Then there is time for a good night sleep for everybody before the pulling of pots starts the next morning.


	23. Chapter 24

Chapter 24.

Strangely enough it is Travis who noticed it first. He is sitting in his corner enjoying his wentelteefjes with extra cinnamon and some strange Dutch thing called gestampte muisjes, when Art comes out of their stateroom still looking more asleep than awake. And before Art is even sitting down Travis asks with his mouth still full and white powder blowing all over the place.

"Art, dude, how did you sleep last night, itching much?"

Art glares at Travis, why is his stateroom buddy now all of a sudden interested in his itch, they've been sharing a stateroom for the last couple of seasons and he never asked before. From Travis position the changes on Art's face are hilarious. From angry glaring to thoughtful to wide eyed surprised to ecstatic within a second. The next moment Art is giving a full body hug to a very confused looking Will and kissing him straight on the mouth. Will had seen Art enter, and he thought settling down at the table, and he was bringing Art his breakfast yogurt so that went flying at the beginning of the hug. Will managed to hold on to the spoon until the fact that Art was kissing him registered somewhere in his brain, at that moment the spoon went flying as well.

Before Will has a chance to react in any other way Art is gone again, now hugging and kissing Lynn, who is doing his best to defend himself but poor Lynn is cornered between the fridge and the sink and he has nowhere to go. All he can do is turn his head so the kisses end up around his ear and not his mouth.

Travis is making sure to stay in his corner seat around the galley table but he has pulled his legs up so he can use them to keep Art out of reach if need be. Only Art isn't going for Travis, he is on his way to the wheel house, Lenny is standing next to the wheel house stairs and he receives his hugs and kisses, his kiss lands on his forehead, with his normal unflappable Lenny calm, he is patting Art on the back and saying something soothing like "here here." Or "there there". As if it is the most normal thing in the world. Right after hugging Lenny Art makes his way up the stairs two at a time to the two brothers and Soper who are in a heated discussion about god knows what in the wheel house with Dough filming it all. Tinkle Tina is taking his time getting ready, because filming in the galley with Will still isn't allowed, so he is mostly stuck in the camera crew's stateroom viewing tapes and taking notes.

Will looks at Lynn with a still stunned expression on his face and Lynn goes straight into defense mode. "Don't look at me, I didn't do it."

Travis by now is giving way to the belly laugh that he was keeping in during the little show, so all eyes go his way. After a few more hiccups he is finally able to answer.

"What? I've had my first night of uninterrupted sleep on this boat without Art moaning in his sleep but you don't see me kissing anybody."

Now the attention is turned to the wheel house stairs, everybody just listening and waiting for the reaction upstairs. And they don't have to wait long. A string of curses, two coffee cups and a cup a soup spittoon come after a hurriedly descending Art. But the man is still grinning from ear to ear.

"So the itch is gone, is it?" Is Travis his conclusion.

"Yeah, it's gone. I don't itch, at all." And Art falls to his knees at Will's feet going "Thank you Thank you Thank you. Now please write down what I am to eat and I will stick to that diet forever and ever. Thank you."

By now Art is standing and hugging and kissing Will again. And Will isn't putting up a fight he is just standing there frozen to his spot. Crosby has excited his stateroom to find out what all the noise is about and Lynn goes over to his friend and whispers something that has Crosby staring daggers at the still over excited Art.

Monte, Soper and Dough have made their way down the tobacco spit covered stairs to also find out what is the reason for Art's, hopefully temporary, madness, and when everybody hears Art's declaration of non itchiness they are willing to forgive him much.

The only one not willing to forgive Art everything is Will.

"Great Art, I am delighted that you're not itching and we'll talk about diet later. Now go clean that mess because no way that I am doing that." Pointing to the tobacco spit covering the stairs and yogurt on the galley floor.

"Sorry cant I'm allergic to tobacco spit." Is Art his grinning replay. But Will isn't outdone so easily, turning around he digs in one of the cupboards for a bit and when he turns around again he is holding a pair of pink rubber washing gloves with bright red painted on fingernails, a fake diamond ring and fluorescent green ruffles around the edges. Holding them out to Art, Will is also grinning. "That's what these are for. Now go clean."

Accepting defeat Art takes the pink monstrosities and puts them on, and after filling a bucket with hot water and some other cleaning stuff he starts cleaning the stairs and galley floor on his knees, looking like a proper house wife. If you can ignore his low riding sweatpants, talk about a builders cleavage. To the amusement of the others Travis tries to throw ricepuffs into Art his cleavage, and the third try is a hit. "Don't throw food at him, he isn't allowed to eat that yet." Is the Princess stern but grinning response.

"At least you did manage to duck the spittoon, because Keith was aiming for between your shoulder blades. Never thought you could avoid that one on those narrow stairs. And you missed a spot." Is Monte's reaction while stepping over the scrubbing Art before also digging into the supply of wentelteeftjes and other breakfast goodness. Art just cringes a bit but keeps up the cleaning, knowing full well that they could have just as easily have thrown him overboard for attacking and kissing the captain.


	24. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

After breakfast, which was delightful and leisurely for most crewmembers for a change but a bit disappointing for Crosby, still only yogurt and herbal infusion's, and hurried for Art, the man isn't the best or fastest cleaner in the world, everybody is outside and ready to start working on hauling pots. Still remarkably little ice on the boat for the temperature so no beating of ice is necessary. Not that anybody is complaining about that, they don't even want to think about it. And when Tinkle Tina ( formerly known as Deathwish) asks about it he is shushed, don't ever tempt mother nature when she is cooperating for a change.

And when the first pot clears the railing the hoots and howls aren't from the air. Full load again. Over four hundred keepers, and all nice clean male opie crabs with not a barnacle in sight. This way the boat is going to be stuffed in record time, everybody is in the best of spirits, and as always when that is the case disaster strikes.

Keith is convinced he can do even better somewhere else so the pots are being stacked and Travis and a for a chance not puking Crosby are on the stack, with Tinkle Tina in the way asking silly questions and being his normal pain in the ass. Soper is at the crane, Lenny at the hydraulics, Monte at the rail. Lynn is in his bunk sleeping because he had the last wheelwatch so it is his turn for six's hours of down time. The two left, Art and Will, are doing the rest of the work on deck. Sorting the crab, emptying the baitbags, putting the line and bags into the pot and hooking that up to the crane.

So Art and Will are running around in a slowly smaller getting space, as the deck is slowly filled with empty pots. They are bumping into each other trying to get everything done even with the Princess his normal light footedness. But Will is still pretty new to crab fishing and Art is still very confused and overwhelmed about his disappearing itch and the closeness of the Princess and his intoxicating pine smell, miraculously dry hair and fluid movements.

Mistakes are easy to make and it isn't even a real mistake. Not really, more a slipup or just an oversight. It is just something Art has done over a thousand time before, putting the bridle in the hook on the crane is so routine a thing he checks if everything is okay without really looking at the bridle. Soper working the crane trust that Art knows what he is doing. Because Art does know. Only with the last pot of the string Will smiled at him while he was hooking the pot, a shy little smile while looking under his preposterously long eyelashes, because Will remembered how Art looked in his pink gloves, low riding sweats and white wife beater, and how Art's hands felt the night he was massaging them and maybe even the totally unlooked for kiss and hugs just this morning. So Will wasn't really paying attention, but he didn't have to, that is Art's job only Art, well Art's brain cells where other ways employed, he had a greenhorn flirting with him. So Art didn't really look at the bridle while hooking it up. He didn't see that the rope was frayed and ready to break, or not break. If everything went the way it should go the rope might keep for another three weeks, or even longer. But sometimes things didn't go the way they should and this is such a time.

Just as Soper pulled the pot up and was ready to put in on the stack with Travis guiding it a roll bigger than the others hit the boat, not even a real wave, just a bigger than average roll. It didn't even clear the rail but the pot was swinging more than expected and hit the top of the stack a bit harder and faster than normal crushing Travis his left hand, that was in a place it shouldn't be, in the process. Travis scream of pain drowned out the sound of the bridle snapping with the impact and the pot went straight for Lenny and Monte, and there was nowhere for Lenny or Monte go even if they had seen the pot coming their way.

Only Lenny didn't even see the thing coming. He was so concentrated watching Monte to see if he should start the hydraulics he didn't even really hear Travis's scream. And Monte had all of his concentration on the water, looking for the next bag and getting ready to throw the hook, he did hear Travis screaming but wasn't paying attention.

Art saw the pot moving in the direction of his crewmates but he was too far away do anything but watch and scream a warning. Only it was too late. The fifteen thousand pound pot was at the mercy of gravity and inertia on the in swing. It crashed right on top of Monte and slid the rest of the way to take out Lenny and the hydraulics station.

Will was watching in absolute horror, knowing full well that this time it wasn't one of his sisters but mother nature herself in all of her power. And they might be able to guide, bend, manipulate or even trick mother nature on occasion, but not on such a short notice. There was nothing he could do about the rolling sea, gravity or other laws of physics, but watch it play out in slow-motion.

Sure he had made Tinkle Tina's leg grow back on, but he needed time to do that, close physical contact and a natural energy source. A split second before the pot took out Monte Will found his voice and screamed too, a weird high-pitched ululating sound that sound shivers up everybody's back who heard it.

The big crash of the pot landing made all sounds on deck stop, everybody stood frozen until Art flew forward and started pulling on the pot, as if he could move it with just his bare hands. Only he couldn't of course.

But not just because of the weight of the fifteen thousand pound pot. No the problem was that the metal crumbled under his touch in rusty flakes. Screaming with anger and frustration Art grabbed the netting and pulled on it with all his might and weight only to land on his backside in a cloud of rusty flakes, netting, line and bags. The whole pot disintegrated into nothingness, and when the worst of the cloud settled down Monte, Lenny and Art where lying on deck covered in reddish brown powder.


	25. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Seeing the mayhem in front of him the Princess finally springs into action, only now noticing the wailing sound coming from the wheelhouse and the moans from on top of the stack but not paying attention to any of it. He has three man down on deck on his watch as safety worker, Travis on the stack can wait, that isn't a live or death situation. Keith's panic attack is the least of his worries right now.

Art is scrambling up to his feet on his own in a panic trying to get to his buddies as fast as he can. His only injury a bruised backside and maybe some damage to his pride, but he is sure that his buddies are dead, or dying.

Art makes it to Monte first and he's checking for vital signs. Monte is unconscious but breathing with a steady heartbeat, at first sight he looks in one piece, all his limbs are in place and in a normal angle to the rest of his body and no blood showing but a small cut on his forehead. Heaving a big sigh of relief Art signals to the still panicking Keith that Monte is doing relatively well.

Lenny is sitting in a fetal position with his back to the hydraulics protecting his face and upper body with his hands and arm and his abdomen with his legs. Mumbling nonstop something that sounded like " sorry baby, so sorry" those must have been to his daughter. Will is the first to reach Lenny and he carefully lays his hands on Lenny's shoulders. Even more slowly he is sliding his hands down Lenny's arms, looking for injuries.

"Lenny, are you okay? Tell me where it hurts. Please just tell me where it hurts?"

Lenny slowly, ever so slowly lowers his hands, it is as if everything is going in slow-motion. Seeing the Princess his worried face Lenny lets out a shaky laugh. "Am I dead, are you an angel?" is his first question. "No its me Will or Princess." Is Will's response. And with that Lenny surges forward and hugs the Princess to his chest, amazed but gratified to still be alive and on the boat, while he was sure he died only seconds before, sure he felt his bones crushing and opening his eyes to a vision with dark flowing hair and starlight eyes. But after blinking it is indeed the Princess and Lenny goes for a hug.

So Will is able to signal good news to Keith as well. Keith stops wailing, not believing what he is seeing for a split second, and then starts screaming for everybody to get inside. His panic is gone and he is now in captain mode. Getting to the shore and proper medical attention for everybody, calling it in to the hospital and the coastguard as well, so they have a helicopter and doctor standing by in case of need or for advice. Ordering Dough to wake up Lynn and to get ready with the first aid kit. Keith is in control again now he knows his brother isn't dead.

Crosby and Tinkle Tina in the mean time are trying to get the injured Travis down from the stack without hurting his left hand anymore than it is. Tinkle Tina had a flashback to his own close up and personal meeting with a pot gone wild and he nearly wetted himself again. It also took some serious self control not to faint at the sight of Travis his wobbly fingers in the red leaking glove. But somehow the two manage and they get Travis into the galley without removing the glove, it's a good thing that glove is duck taped onto the sleeve of his rain gear. Neither is brave enough to cut it loose. Crosby only takes time to get Travis seated on a horizontal surface before he makes it outside again to help Will and Art to carry Monte inside.

Lenny is able to walk by himself, even if he is a bit uncertain on his feet. He is moving and ready to hug and love everybody in the world. But the first person he meets is the huggable Lenny. So after accepting his hug Crosby gets Lenny settled on a bench as well before trying to make it outside for the second time. By now Monte is starting to show signs of live. Moaning and trying to get his hand to his head. But Will keeps telling him to keep still and not move too much.

When Will sees Crosby coming outside again, he orders him inside again.

"Crosby go get something like a body board, so we can carry Monte inside without moving him too much, he might have a spine injury." Turning around Crosby starts thinking what he can use as body board.

By now Lynn is at the wheel so Keith and Dough are in the living area taking care of Lenny and Travis.

Crosby going back inside runs into Dough and all he can think of is, body board so he just asks. "What can we use as body board, to put Monte on?" Keith overhears and the three go for a rummage for a long and wide enough piece of plywood. Within two minutes Keith starts yelling, he has pulled to boarding from his bed. That would work.

Crosby makes it outside with his board and together with Will and Art they manage to get Monte on and secured, lifted and inside where Monte is parked on the floor.

Now everybody is save and inside Will can really get to work.

First up is Lenny, he seems okay, shook up but fine, no pain, no blood. Clearheaded and conscious enough to answer questions. So Lenny is put to bed with a waking every two hours order.

Monte is save for now and there is little Will can do until he is conscious. But with the overzealous Keith hovering over his brother Will is sure he will hear as soon as Monte is showing any clear signs of live.


	26. Chapter 27

Thanks to the readers even all the anonymous ones, but feedback might make me post faster.

EwaB

Chapter 27

Travis is sitting still too terrified to move, holding his left wrist clamped to his chest, looking as white as a sheet, sweat beading on his forehead clenching his jaws in pain and fear.

"Okay Travis, let me see what is going on." Travis is so worried he's forgotten Will's earlier treatment, so he lets Will do his thing. But Will isn't repeating his earlier pitiless medicine way's this time. No this time Will carefully peels Travis his right hand from his left wrist and even slower he takes Travis his left hand and puts it on the table, making sure to support the bungling fingers, and with a pair of scissors from the first aid kit he cuts away the duck tape first and then ever so carefully cuts open up the glove. Starting at the back of Travis his hand and without touching Travis his skin Will manages to cut open every finger separately, not pulling on the glove in anyway. Blood is everywhere, so it is hard to see what the damage is, and Tinkle Tina, who was trying to film how the Princess treats Travis goes down with a thud and the sound of breaking glass. After a glance in his direction Will decides that Tinkle Tina is in nobody's way and in no immediate danger of dying, that Dough is going to kill him for destroying a camera isn't Will's problem.

Ignoring the unlucky camera man Will starts to peel the glove away from Travis his fingers, slowly the pinky finger comes in sight and although it is covered in blood it is just fine. Ring finger, just fine. Middle finger auch, the tip is crushed and the nail is hanging lose from the finger for the most part there is even some bone showing. It is also bleeding freely. But Will doesn't stop yet to treat it. He has two more fingers to assess. Pointer finger, just fine. Thumb, just fine as well. So the middle finger is the only one damaged, to Travis utter surprise, he was sure he felt the pot hit him in the middle of his hand, the pain had been terrible and he didn't feel any of his fingers until just a minute ago. It hadn't been just his finger tip. Only he is seeing it himself, just the one finger tip nothing else.

Will grabs some sterile gauzes and Betadine ( sting free iodine) from the first aid kit and puts a generous drop of Betadine on the finger and then wraps the gauzes around the finger making sure the nail is in the place where is should be. Dough has already unwrapped a roll of the narrowest bandages and offers to bandage the finger so Will can take a look at Monte who is moving and getting angry about being tied down.

And indeed Monte is about to fight his way out of his restrictions, no matter what Keith is saying. So the Princess takes on his best 'I am the medic here' stance before kneeling down to talk to Monte. Putting his hand on Monte his forehead to get his attention Will starts speaking.

"Mouse, you can fight all you want, you're staying tied to this thing until a real doctor has taken a look at your neck and back. There might be a spinal injury, because you've taken a nasty hit. It's actually a miracle that your able to breathe."

This little speech works its magic on Monte and he calms down enough to order a doctor immediately. And since getting doctors on sight is Keith's job Keith tells his brother to just take it easy. The boat is already heading in the direction of Dutch. After that Keith goes up to his own save place and pushes to boat to its limits to get to the hospital as fast as possible. The coastguard where unable to come because a big storm was blowing at Dutch and st. Pauls. Weird actually how much the weather can differ on such a relatively short distance. The others manage somehow to get Monte with his body board settled in a bunk and with the use of some more duck tape Monte is as secure as can be.

Now Will can finally assess the damage Monte might have.

"Mouse, what day is it today? What's my name, and where are you and what happened to you? Can you answer these questions for me? And follow my finger with your eyes."

Trying his very best to follow the fast moving finger Monte answer's.

"Don't have a clue what day it is, third day out fishing, you are the Princess your our cook, and I am not in my bunk, don't know who's bunk this is. And a bleep pot fell on my head and I died. That is what happened."

"Okay, now please look at this light. And count back from ten too one."

Staring at the bright light and following it with his eyes Monte starts counting. "ten nine eight seven six five four three two one. Happy now. My neck hurts and I need to pee."

Will is relatively happy that Monte doesn't have a brain injury, his sunny disposition is the biggest give away for that.

"Okay, I'll get you some painkillers and a bottle you can pee in. Just stay put." That last bit with a heavy dose of sarcasm because Monte isn't going anywhere.

Once in the galley Will has a epiphany.

"Lynn, why don't you bring Monte these painkillers and this bottle."

And eager to please Lynn takes the two painkillers, the glass of water and the empty water bottle, not even thinking about why or what he is supposed to do with it.

When Lynn enters the galley again about five minutes later and carrying a bottle with yellow fluid he goes straight for Will, getting right in his face.

"You, you, you, bastard, you knew he had too…. I hate you." The last bit so heartfelt that Art and Crosby are impressed.

"I know, love you too." And with that Will plants a big kiss on Lynn's cheek leaving the poor guy wide eyes and speechless. And Art slightly flustered in the background.

"And I just promoted you to Monte's official caretaker because you did so well with Crosby. So have fun. And you might want to throw that away." Pointing at the bottle of yuck.

And with that Will turns his attention to his dinner, the two chickens he has in the oven are slightly beyond the perfect golden brown with a nice crisp skin but not burned enough to have to get rid of. Combined with the sticky rice in coconut milk and curry stir fried vegetables it makes a nice fast meal. Just the thing after a near death experience, it is a good thing he already had these birds in the oven and the rice in the slow cooker before the trouble began, the veggies take less than ten minutes to prepare so while Will finishes dinner Art and Crosby are setting the table. Art pretty much throwing the knives and forks onto the table with an evil growl on his face. Crosby is keeping his distance and making sure to handle the breakable things. And Lynn is mollified enough to forgive Will and take on his new task of caretaker without too much complaints or further death threats.


	27. Chapter 28

Enjoy, and please leave a comment if you feel like it.

Chapter 28.

When dinner was on the table Will realized he had made a mistake. Sure Art was still eating his chicken broth in cornbread dish with some potatoes added as a test, to see if that is the itch inducing food item. And Monte wouldn't be able to gnaw on bones yet either. But the others where all interested in a chicken leg, only with only two chickens he has only four chicken legs, and nine takers. Crosby being fully recovered from his annoying 'stomach flu' had a more than normal appetite and his delicate condition was enough reason for Will to decide he was entitled a treat. Travis was entitled to a leg as well since he was wounded. Lenny wanted a leg for the same reason. And Keith being the captain was sure to have a leg as well. Leaving Lynn, Soper, Dough, Tinkle Tina ( also known as Jeff) and Will himself without one.

But after the initial struggle everybody had a part of chicken, Soper, Lynn, Dough and Tinkle Tina pretty much half a chicken missing a leg and Will was picking his way thru four wings. Dinner disappeared within the normal fifteen minutes. While Soper and Lynn where doing the dishes Keith went back to his wheelhouse, only to be followed by Will.

"Keith, why don't you go take a look in at Monte and then go to sleep?"

Spitting into his cupasoup spittoon and stuffing a new piece of chew in his mouth Keith looks up, eyes red rimmed again, he sure cried a lot this day for a big macho guy.

"Tell me first, is Mouse going to be okay?"

"Can't tell you yet, simply the fact that he is still breathing and cursing is good. Only he really needs to go to hospital and get some X-ray's taken. His complaints about neck pain scare me."

Keith takes his time to think this over and spits in his lucky cupasoup spittoon again. To the disgust of Will. "But what is with that disgusting habit of chewing and spitting. You know it will kill you right?"

"Yeah, I know, I am trying to stop, been trying now for a couple of years, my whole family wants me to stop. But right now isn't the time to go cold turkey."

And with that Keith puts yet another piece of chew tobacco in his mouth, his cheeks are bulging with the stuff.

"If you want to stop, why do you have that stuff right here within reach? Isn't it smarter to have it somewhere else so you have to go get it?"

"If I don't have any myself I will just steel from the others. And a crab boat isn't the best place to stop. And you really don't want the whole crew going cold turkey. Even if nobody on the boat was chewing, I would look for another boat to trade some. And having the whole fleet going cold turkey really isn't a good thing."

"Okay, but what has chewing tobacco and killing yourself got to do with the big dead bird in the fridge?"

Will is looking confused. Dough is trying not to pee his pants with laughter, and because of Will's confusion, Keith gets confused as well.

"What dead bird?"

"The big dead bird in the fridge, it was there all of a sudden last season, only it is too big for the oven, if you told me it was a emu I would believe it as well. Only Americans don't really eat emu's but you do eat turkey, right?"

Keith is only getting more confused. "What bleebing dead bird are you talking about?"

Dough decides now is a good time to intervene. "We brought the turkey, it was for thanksgiving and Tinkle Tina was to prepare it. We just didn't really think about the size of the oven so we left the bird. Sorry."

Will still isn't following it. But now Keith has things explained and he decides he wants to know how his brother is doing, never mind if all the dead birds of the world are in his fridge.

"Okay, Will you take over the wheel, just keep going to Dutch, I am going to check up on Mouse."

And Keith is gone.

"Dough, what is cold turkey?" Will still doesn't understand what the bird has to do with addictions.

"Cold turkey is what we call somebody going thru withdraw from some kind of addiction. So the shakes, delirium, being grumpy as hell, that kind of things."

Nodding his head Will finally understands. The pink elephants on the ceiling kind of stuff. Soon after Dough also heads to his bunk. He still isn't allowed to film Will, so watching Will on wheel watch is about as boring as watching paint dry.


	28. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

As soon as Dough is gone Will has the window at his right shoulder open, sticking his head outside he hisses a name.

"Serafina, most wonderful and lovely of sisters, would you please get your perfectly shaped tiny backside over here please pretty please?"

And before Will is done talking his sister is flying next of the wheelhouse within easy whispering distance of the window ducking the seagulls that also like flying next to the wheelhouse.

"What's up? Don't blame me for what happened today. We didn't do it this time, we really didn't. Even if we or I wanted to then I couldn't do it like this."

Serafina is so used to Will blowing up at her she often starts excusing or explaining before he ever got a chance to talk.

"I know, don't get your panties in a wad, it was Mother herself. But because of it I need some help."

"What with?"

"Well during Mothers little hiccup she managed to do some damage. And Monte got hurt and I wasn't near him fast enough."

"Which one is Monte again? The one with the tattoo back and arm?"

"No that is Travis, He's going to be fine, just a boeboe on his finger, or it is now. He had lost most of his hand but I managed to grow that back on. Lenny also had some damage but I was the first to touch him so he is fine as well. Monte is the big burly one with the big chin."

Serafina seemed less than amused.

"So…You are allowed to discern by saying someone has a big chin, But I am not allowed to say that you like the big nosed one? By the way, do you already know about the big nosed ones other body parts?"

"Shut up about the big nosed one, and his name is Art by the way. And no I don't know yet, but he did kiss me this morning."

" OH..now that sounds promising."

"Yeah, only he also kissed about everybody else on the boat."With a very expressive eye roll, good thing Keith didn't see it, he has a thing against eye rolling. And Serafina is about as confused as Will is.

"Why on earth would he do that?"

"Seems he was happy about not itching anymore."

"Shouldn't he be thanking you then? You did take away the itch didn't you?"

" of course I did, but he thinks it is because of his diet."

"And who is in charge of his food, you aren't you?"

"Yes I am but never mind all that. Are you going to help me with Monte?"

"Why, if you can't fix it, I certainly can't do it?"

"Even I have limits. So you choose, do you want to control the weather keeping this storm at bay or fix a broken neck without spine damage?"

Serafina pretends to think for about a second.

"I'll do the neck, thank you very much, but when can I get to him, pretty crowded in there?"

"Right now would work, everybody on board is sleeping."

"Nope they not, the big nosed one is awake and coming. And Segesta's baby daddy isn't sleeping either only he is still thinking about what to do. I could of course let them all fall asleep, only you would get angry with me if I broke the Big Nosed ones nose when he falls on the stairs. Bye for now, bro I'll find a moment to get to this big burly one with the big chin to fix his neck myself."

And with a last giggle Serafina is gone from the window.

Will was still hanging with his head out the window when Art scraped his throat while on the wheel house stairs.

"Better close that window. If Keith catches you with it open he'll get mad. Why do you have it open anyway, it is freezing in here."

Spinning around Will manages to hit his head on one of the many monitors and radios. Rubbing his head, closing the window and grinning at Art at the same time Will even finds time to talk.

"I was feeding the birds, Keith left some scraps from breakfast. The seagulls like bacon, they don't like pecan waffles."

This has Art laughing. "Crazy birds, those pecan waffles are amazing, they don't know what they are missing."

"Thanks Art but you're not allowed to eat pecan waffles yet. Only what are you doing here? Why aren't you asleep as the others?"

Looking sheepishly and rubbing the back of his neck, rubbing not scratching, Art answers.

"I can't sleep, to wound up and not sleepy at all, not even tired, normally I would collapse exhausted after a day of work, but now I still have lots of energy, never noticed how that itching and scratching took it out of me."

And getting closer and looking even more nervous Art continues.

"I wanted to say sorry for this morning. The kissing thing, didn't really handle that too well."

Taking a deep breath and looking Will straight in the eyes Art stumbles to the next part of his rehearsed speech.

" Will, I am sorry if my kissing you this morning made you feel uncomfortable."

And because Art is looking straight into Will's eyes he can see the impish little devil start dancing in Will's eyes.

"Thanks Art, but I didn't mind. Seems to me you have to apologize to Keith and Lynn, they seemed a lot more uncomfortable then me."

Encouraged by Will's answer Art goes for the plunge.

"I really don't care how they feel, just don't want to upset you. You're important to me."

Feeling himself go beet red Art looks everywhere but at Will. He never felt so vulnerable, and yet hopeful before in his live. By not looking he completely misses the way Will's face lights up even more.

"Art, I care about you too."

And with that Will gives Art a big hug making sure to squeeze a bit extra and he also lets his hands wander a bit.

Not the reaction Art was expecting but a hell of a lot better. He is taking deep breaths enjoying the wholesome earthy pine smell that is typically Will and hugging right back with his eyes closed. Paradise.


	29. Chapter 30

Chapter 30.

But every paradise has its snake. And this time the unintentional snake is a bored Crosby looking for something to do.

"Hey Will your up here? What are you two doing? Dude, Art get a room."

Crosby didn't even manage to sound shocked or surprised, mostly because he isn't. He always new Art got confused during longish trips, and as long as Will is the willing recipient Crosby couldn't care less. Only Art jumped back as if he had gotten a electric shock, going so red it must hurt.

"Crosby, I…..eh…we…eh…..what….. no man"

Both Will and Crosby decide to totally ignore Art and his mumbling.

"Hey Crosby, what's up, why aren't you sleeping, as Art should be doing."

Grinning Crosby motions to Art. "Art, can't you take over Will's wheel watch? I am bored and want to learn how to cook, so if you do wheel watch Will can teach me. Is good for the boat as well, if I can cook, because Will's going to leave after this season, right?"

"Not sure yet. But I think so, have to get back to my real job."

Art takes over the captains chair, but he is chagrined. Crosby's timing sucked big time, again, and now Will says he is going to leave? For probably the first time in his life Art hates wheel watch. He isn't even tired enough to fall asleep and the things he is thinking are no fun at all.

Will and Crosby are in the galley discussing what it is Crosby would like to learn exactly. Crosby still somewhat stunned by his sudden desire to learn how to cook, Will not in the least surprised nesting can out itself in strange ways, even if he had made a bet with his sisters that Crosby was going to take up crocheting. So Will lost his bet and now was stuck with a bag full of yarn, but he didn't mind much.

"So Crosby what do you want to make?"

"Well I really like the desserts you've been making? So how about a cake?"

Rifling thru the cupboards for ingredients Will makes a suggestion.

"We have everything for a lemon cheesecake. How does that sound?"

"Sounds great, let's do it."

Will starts piling things in the sink under Crosby's intensive scrutiny. Best place to leave it, that way it won't travel all over the counter or floor. Four lemons, butter, cookies, a container of curd, a container with five round pieces of mozzarella, four eggs, cornflower, a big bag of white caster sugar and a bottle of limoncello.

Picking up the bottle of Limoncello Crosby studies the label and comes to a rather unwelcome conclusion.

"Dude, this has alcohol in it. No way Keith is going to accept us using it."

"Relax Crosby, the cake has to go into the oven for forty minutes at 160 degrees Celsius anyway, alcohol boils at around 80. So the alcohol will have evaporated before we ever get to eat it."

"Okay, now what?"

Settling against the table Will starts his instructions, the best way to learn is by letting the student do it him or herself.

"First you melt the butter and when it is melted you put in a generous splash of limoncello."

Crosby searches for a pan to put the butter in. he wants to put in the entire package to Will's consternation.

"Dude not that much, only 50 grams, about a quarter of a pack."

So Crosby finds a knife and cuts off about 50 grams and puts that in the pan and with a low heat stands there waiting for the butter to melt.

That might work if you don't have anything else to do, but on a crab boat that isn't the best way of doing things.

"Okay, now the butter is melting start squeezing the lemons, because you need the juice of four lemons."

Alternating squeezing lemons and stirring melting butter Crosby is starting to get confused. But he manages to do it. The lemons are done first.

"Now take 400 grams of curds, and 200 grams of mozzarella, that is about four pieces, you have to tear those up first, and mix those in this bowl" Presenting Crosby with a big round RVS bowl. Looking at the containers Crosby puts about 4/5 ths of the curds in the bowl and starts tearing up the mozzarella and ads that to the bowl as well and starts mixing. While he is putting in some elbow grease Will adds the lemon juice.

"This looks very thin? Are you sure it's okay?"

"Yeah, the eggs and cornflower will stiffen it up ones it starts cooking in the oven. It is fine, now that the butter is melted put in the limoncello."

Giving the bowl to Will Crosby looks at the butter and yeah it is melted, so adding a smallish splash of limoncello he asks if it is enough.

"No a bit more is better. And then you crumble the cookies, 160 grams into the buttermix."

The cookies are crumbled in an instant. Always nice those care packages from the fans. They send the best cookies.

"Could I use chocolate cookies for this?"

"NO absolutely not. Only these simple digestive like cookies, nothing else."

Looking disappointed Crosby is mixing the cookies with the butter limoncello mix, he really likes his chocolate.

"I'll teach you how to make chocolate muffins next, okay?"

"Yeah, great, I like chocolate. Now what?"

"Put the cookies crumble mix on the bottom of this silicone cake form. And make sure it is everywhere and push it in."

Crosby likes this part, pushing in the cookie mix with his bare hands. He now also has an excuse to lick his hands clean. Will sees it and grins. That is one of the perks of being the chef. When Crosby has his hands clean Will gives him a smaller bowl and the eggs.

" Now break the eggs and make sure there aren't any pieces of shell in it."

Crosby's egg breaking skills also need some work, giving him a small bowl to make sure the eggshell isn't in the cheesecake was a smart move. But after some fishing all the pieces of shell are out of the eggs, and Crosby isn't licking this off his fingers, no this time he washes them with some water and soap. Will gives Crosby the big bowl again.

"Now add the eggs, and two teaspoons of cornflower. Mix again, then taste, try to decide how much sugar you want in it. Not too much because it should be a bit tart and sour."

Mixing with a vengeance Crosby is almost splattering the whole galley with the cheesecake batter. Tasting is also done and Crosby decides he wants three table spoons of caster sugar added, even if Will is saying that two should be enough. So Crosby has a sweet tooth now he is expecting.

"Okay, now put this on top of the cookies, I already preheated the oven at 160 degrees Celsius. Put water in the tray and put the cake in the middle of the water, for forty minutes and then it is done."

By the time the cheesecake is in the oven Crosby is smiling from ear to ear.

" I made a cheesecake. My mother is going to be so surprised. Couldn't even boil an egg before this. You are a great teacher Will, thanks."

Crosby gives Will a big hug. Hey if Art can give Will hugs than Crosby can do so too, now that Art isn't watching.

"Thanks Crosby, now I am going to bed, you stay awake until this one is done and make two more. Because one cake isn't enough. when it is done take let it cool down a bit and then put them in the fridge"

Will pulls some clean dishcloths and two big plates from the cupboards. "Use these to stack them. I'll make some room in the fridge."

Five minutes later there is an empty shelf in the fridge and Will is ready to turn in.

"Good night."

"Okay, good night. Only you can't sleep in your own bunk. Monte is in there and Keith and Lynn are sharing my bunk."

"Thanks, I'll crash in Art's bunk he is doing wheel watch anyway."

And with that Will makes his way to the stateroom that Art and Travis normally share.


	30. Chapter 31

Chapter 31.

Will starts undressing in the dark, he doesn't want to wake up his now roommate Travis, they are still not on the best of terms as it is. Must have been the nose thing the first trip out. Or maybe the food thing?

Only he isn't all that familiar with this stateroom so within seconds he is bumping into things, things are falling, making a lot of racket. When he bumps his shins for the fifth time within fifteen seconds it is enough. Will starts blowing off steam, letting go of an impressive string of curses in Dutch, American and several other languages.

Travis wakes up and turns on the little light in his bunk rubbing his eyes and ready to kill Art for all the racket. Only it isn't Art that is bumbling around but his favorite chef and medic. So he just scowls for a bit.

Squinting against the sudden light Will manages to take off his socks without any further incidents and find the upper bunk.

"Hey Travis, sorry for waking you, how is your hand doing?"

Remembering that killing the medic that has saved his nose and his hand isn't the smartest thing in the world Travis just answers.

"It is throbbing and itching like crazy, but other than that it is okay. Healing I guess. Why are you here, and what is going on in the kitchen?"

A long sleeved T-shirt floats down to the floor, accompanied by a bunch of crashing noises in the galley, it wasn't even that big a wave.

"Art volunteered for wheel watch. And Crosby is making lemon cheesecake for breakfast. And my bunk is taken. You can turn off the light now, I'm ready."

"Fine."

With a big sigh Travis turns off the light and settles down again, but with a big eat shit grin on his face. The prank he has planned on Art is going to be even better than expected now that Will is the recipient. He waits for a couple of minutes until Will is done turning and his breathing is evening out indicating he is close to sleep.

Then he kicks the bunk above him startling Will.

"Hey Will. Just don't get off smelling Art's bedding okay?"

"What are you talking about, I'd never? EEUUWW."

Controlling the quiver in his voice with superhuman effort Travis goes for the clincher.

"Just feel underneath the pillow."

He hears Will shuffling around. Then the light in Will's bunk goes on.

"But…..But…that's my hoodie? The one I was wearing when Tinkle Tina Tinkled all over me. I threw that one….."

Before he has a chance to finish Travis is talking again.

"Yeah, and Art managed to catch it."

"Do you mean that Art has been using this for…..EEEUUWWWWWWWWW, that's sick man, even for, EEEEEUUUUUUUWWWW."

The hoodie went flying to the farthest corner, leaving Travis rolling around his bunk with laughter. Just the sound of Will's voice creeping up and up was worth keeping that blasted hoodie for three months, the last EEEUUUWW was almost in dog whistle territory.

"What's the problem Will? I can almost understand Art. You are such a girl sometimes his confusion is understandable."

"What is that to mean. You want inside my pants as well?" Will's hanging head down so he can see Travis in his bed, sure it is pretty shady but not so dark that Will can't see that Travis is enjoying himself way too much. Now Will has his chance to laugh. Because Travis reaction is a very heartfelt and high-pitched. "EEUUUWWW. No way dude."

With that Will pulls back his head and turns off his light. Both still sniggering now and then about the successful hits and counter hits in this pranking competition, they soon fell into a deep sleep with big grins on their faces.

Three hours later Art is ready with his wheel watch and Lynn is taking over. The galley on the way to his stateroom looks as if a couple of bombs have exploded. There is some light yellow stuff all over the place but it smells really fresh and lemony. Crosby is sitting on one of the benches hunched over and is he crying?

"Crosby? Anything wrong?"

When Crosby looks Art is confronted with a very woeful looking deckhand. He is expecting the worst. That Monte had stopped breathing? Lenny taken a turn for the worse? Keith had a nervous breakdown? All kind of dreadful scenarios are taking place in his head.

"I can't do it Art. I just can't. I'll never learn." And with that Crosby goes off again. With loud wails of woe and throwing the spatula he was holding with a graceful arc into the sink. Art suddenly understands why Lynn came up so fast and eager to take over on wheel watch.

Patting Crosby on the shoulder Art is feeling very uncomfortable, it is Crosby who has had a nervous breakdown, not Keith. So he decides to go for a Lenny approach.

"There, there, I'm sure you'll do fine." And he makes a fast B-line to his stateroom without waiting for any kind of reply.

Once he is in his stateroom Art rests his back against the door and lets out his breath. He didn't even realize he was holding it. Travis waking up again turns on his light and suddenly Art realizes he has another problem that is even bigger. Will is sleeping in his bunk, on his side facing and nearly hugging the wall. All other bunks are also taken, and the galley is occupied by the crying and mess making Crosby so that isn't an option either.

"Art just get into bed okay, Will won't bite and he is used to sharing a bunk. Stop getting your panties in a bunch and behave like a guy for a bit."

Getting all his courage and determination together Art carefully slides into the upper bunk. Appreciative that Will is lying close to the wall and on the skinny side. Lying down Art is starting to relax when Will starts moving.

Will it seems is a bit of a heat seeking missile and within seconds Art is wrapped in arms and legs all over. Art is doing all he can trying to wriggle out off the strangle hold Will has on him, without hopefully waking Will. Only that isn't working, Will lifts his head a bit and Art notices something else.

"You also smell like lemon right now?" What earns him a big sigh and Will whispers not to softly in his ear.

"Art shut up."

"I second that." Comes mumbled from the bottom bunk.

"Sleep." Is the next thing Will says. And before he is even done speaking both Art and Travis are off into dream land.


	31. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Mouse woke up with a very full bladder again, he knew he shouldn't have drank al that water. Only where was his nurse Lynn?

"Lynn, Lynn….. Damit Lynn I need you." But the only one waking up was his brother.

"Mouse, what's up?"

"I need to pee bro. Where is Lynn?"

Mouse has a very good idea of Keith his nursing qualities, Lynn would indeed be preferable by a landslide.

"He has wheel watch, I'll go get him." Keith isn't really awake yet when he scrambled out of his bunk and makes his way thru the galley that looked as if a light yellow paint bomb had exploded. A very nice smelling paint bomb but still. Only he can't be bothered with that just yet, or he will have a yellow waterfall in his bunk. There isn't anybody to scream at anyway.

Once he gets into the wheelhouse Keith spots Lynn fast asleep at the wheel. And this close to Dutch that isn't a good idea. Lots of traffic around and an accident is fast to happen.

"LYNN, BLEEP BLEEPITY BLEEP WAKE UP."

Shooting up in the captains chair, his eyes nearly popping from his head Lynn starts apologizing before he is even really awake, not that it is helping. He is getting his ass served on a platter by his captain for at least five minutes. By the time Keith is done, Lynn is told to go take care of Mouse.

A severely chastised Lynn makes his hurried way down the stairs noticing the all overpowering smell of lemon. And his jaw dropped by the sight of the light yellow and glistening galley, with the now even more smeared Crosby still crying in a corner while frantically beating a bowl of even more yellow-orange stuff. But Crosby entranced with whatever it is he is doing and he is ignoring everybody and everything but his bowl of gooey. Lynn takes his chance and slips past the galley and gets into his stateroom to get the bottle and help mouse with his predicament. And he is just in time. After emptying the bottle and bringing Monte his pain medicine and some more water Lynn makes his way up to the wheelhouse again so Keith can go back to bed and this time he manages to stay awake.

Three hours later it is time for everybody to wake up, the first daylight is seeping into the windows and it is promising to be a nice clear but cold day. He wants to get ready to eat breakfast and get started on docking in Dutch harbor as fast as possible so Mouse can get off the boat and he doesn't have to play nurse anymore. So Lynn starts doing the rounds waking everybody up. First up is the stateroom that Travis and Art share and that he can get to without having to go thru the galley.

To say Lynn's jaw dropped when he comes into the rather crowded stateroom is a understatement.

"What the hell. ART."

And before Art is even awake enough to explain or fight back he's being dragged from his bunk by a very very angry Lynn who is not reacting to any kind of argument. Art is going to get his ass kicked for 'molesting' the Princess, while the poor guy is sleeping.

All of a sudden all hell breaks loose. Travis not appreciating the third very rude wakeup call this morning, starts screaming and going after Lynn's knees that are within reach. Lynn wisely manages to escape to the galley where Crosby, who is done backing but still high on adrenaline, is more than ready to come to his aid, flaying his spatula at Travis spattering even more yellow stuff all over the place. Art, finally awake and vertical after finding himself on the stateroom floor being pummeled goes in to help his buddy Travis.

This gets Keith awake and he exits Crosby and Lynn's stateroom, running smack bang into the nearest wall. Because the position of the nearest wall to this door is different from the captains stateroom. With a fast forming nice egg on his forehead Keith also heads for the galley and is met by a very strange sight indeed.

His nice clean ordely galley is transformed to a freefighting/ custard wrestling competition.

Four guys, two fully dressed and two in their off color boxers, all covered from head to toe with a sickly yellow-orange lemony smelling custard. And none of them is fighting fair. There is hair pulling and pinching in rather sensitive and definitely illegal places. Crosby is wielding a big sieve as a weapon trying very hard to park it on Art's head. And Art is using a towel to get Crosby's sieve out of action while also pulling on the strings from Crosby's sweats. Lynn is trying to get a proper grip on the very slick and slippery bare-chested Travis, in order to do so his left hand is definitely below the belt and in an extremely sensitive spot. Travis is the hair pulling one because that is the only grip he can get on the slippery Lynn. All of them screaming and cursing up a storm.

For probably the first time in his live Keith is stunned into silence.

For the grand total of about a minute, when he gets bumped into action by Lenny who runs into him on his way to the action. As a reaction Keith explodes.

"ALL OF YOU, OUTSIDE. NOW."

And with that and a little help from the now also wide awake and fully dressed Sopher, Lenny and Will, Keith manages to get all four combatants outside and hosed down with seawater. He is even contemplating leaving them outside for a bit to dry off and cool down some more. But icicles are starting to form on Crosby's curly hair and Art's big nose already, goose bumps visible all over. And Will has a point stating that he isn't going to clean up the galley from Crosby's and the others food fight. So with a defeated sigh Keith orders his man inside.

"You're lucky. Go get dry and put on clean clothes then clean the place until Will is satisfied. NOW." And giving the other three and especially Will an angry look. "You're not supposed to help them, just supervise."

After this Keith makes his muttering way to his favorite spot, his very own captains chair. The four combatants shiver their way into in Crosby's case the shower and the others to their staterooms.

Will, Sopher and Lenny pull three pillows from the bench, those are covered in yellow lemony gooey as well, and sit down on the bare wood waiting for the show. The pink gloves with lace, fake fingernails and all are lying ready.


	32. Chapter 33

Chapter 33.

Art is the first one back into the galley and he gets his gloves without too much comment. Travis on the other hand is ready to put up a fight, and he isn't above fighting unfairly.

"I'm hurt, look? I need to keep my finger dry." Holding up his left hand with its wrapped middle finger and pulling his best hurt little puppy look. Only that would have been a lot more convincing if there wasn't a very large handprint with a huge smeared middle finger print. Lenny just grins and points up to the ceiling where the handprint is. Sopher holds out the extra large pink gloves that has golden nail polish and chartreuse lace on the edge. Accepting defeat Travis takes his gloves and also starts cleaning.

Lynn also accepts his chore but he is complaining about the fact that Crosby is still in the shower.

"Well Crosby actually tried to make food first. You three just wanted to fight and make a mess." Is Will's response. So grumbling Lynn starts on the outside of the fridge and the cushions . Travis is cleaning the ceiling showing off a very nice bit of skin. While Art is on his hand and knees again mopping the floor.

They all leave the oven, stove and dishes for Crosby, since he was the one making actual food he should clean the actual food making things.

By the time Crosby comes out of the shower, all clean and fresh smelling, he even managed to shave. All that is left to do is the stove, oven and dishes. He tackles those without complaining about it even wearing the nice pink gloves. But his face every time he gets near Travis, Sopher or Lenny is funny. It seems they stink according to the very fussy Crosby.

After Will reported to Keith that everything is spick and span, they all get the go ahead for breakfast. Will dives into the fridge and pulls out three cheesecakes.

The first one is a rather funky smelling orange cheesecake. Will takes another whiff but he can't for the live of him indentify the strange smell. It smells familiar, but it totally eludes him. Pulling up an eyebrow he looks at Crosby for an explanation.

"The little round cheese thingy's where gone so I looked for a different sort of soft cheese and I found that big round white cheese downstairs, so I cut off the white stuff and used that."

Will looks as if he is about to break down in tears. "You used my unpasteurized camembert? For cheesecake?"

Completely missing the fact that Will is upset Crosby continues. "And I was also out of that curd stuff so I used Art's yogurt. You don't mind do you?"

Crosby had the courtesy to ask, but he wasn't waiting for an answer. "There also weren't enough lemons so I used orange juice for that and when I ran out of eggs I substituted that with mayonnaise. A friend of mine once told me that everything you can make with eggs you can also make with mayonnaise." Looking as proud as a new mom with a perfect baby in her arms. "And I prefer chocolate over normal cookies so I used KitKat for the bottom, must be much better like this."

He is sounding so proud. He did manage to make three cheesecakes with a deplorable shortage of ingredients. Only Will isn't fooled.

"There where over three dozen eggs to start with, what happened to them?"

"Well I broke them but couldn't get the shell out. So I had to toss them."

"And the fifteen lemons?"

"Those were mixed in with the eggs. As was the curd and the little cheese thingy's."

By now Crosby isn't sounding all that proud anymore.

"Did you taste the orange cheesecake mix? And like it?"

Crosby is nodding his head with a fanatical zeal, he liked it a lot it seems.

"Fine. You did cook it in the oven right?" Crosby is nodding again. "Yeah, for forty minutes at the temperature you set."

"Great. Guys the orange camembert, mayonnaise KitKat cheesecake is Crosby's unless somebody else wants it."

Seems like nobody else wants to even get near it. So Will puts the orange cheesecake in front of Crosby also handing him a spoon. Everybody watches how Crosby digs in, chomping down on his very alternative cheesecake with gusto.

"And?" Lenny just has to know. The smell coming from the thing is far worse than he, Sopher and Travis smell together in his opinion.

"It tastes great, but it could use some…..hummmmm….some pickles and strawberry sauce? Maybe?"

This has most of the guys retching, but Will just turns to the fridge and gets the pickles and strawberry sauce.

"Here you are Crosby, do you also want some of these fried onion rings with it?"

"Yeah, great." Is his grateful response. "And is there any chorizo in there?"


	33. Chapter 34

Chapter 34.

After sending Crosby and his disgusting breakfast to the mudroom, he even insisted on washing it all down with warmed up Gatorade. The others dig in with the more traditional lemon cheesecake, and washing it down with coffee or tea. No omelet this morning, not even Will is going to try and make one with mayonnaise as an egg substitute with everybody watching.

Will makes sure he has a big part of the cheesecake that was made under his supervision for himself, Monte and Keith. First bringing a part to Keith in the wheelhouse and then helping Monte with his piece of cheesecake, washed down with coffee. In between eating his own piece. After his breakfast he helps Monte with his bladder problem, no use getting Lynn away from his breakfast, that guy has done his share of the caretaking and deserves a break.

The others carve up the rest and start eating. Soon Travis starts complaining about the crunchiness. Art also notices it but he is just happy to be eating something else then yogurt with honey.

Sopher, Lenny and Lynn don't care, the crunchiness is just extra calcium. Even if it is a bit much, seems Crosby really has a big problem in breaking eggs. The taste is fine and that is all that matters.

Soon after breakfast Keith orders his men on deck to dock. There is an ambulance standing ready and three redheads are standing next to the ambulance looking on chatting with the ambulance crew while waiting. Not that the ambulance crew was complaining about the attention.

Docking was done within minutes so now the harder job of getting Mouse off the boat while strapped to his backboard. But fortunately there are a bunch of strong men around to do the heavy lifting.

So with Art and Travis on one side and Will and Lynn on the other and Keith being nervous and in the way in front of them Mouse makes his way on deck. Where he is hooked to the crane and lifted off the boat and on shore, where the three redheads immediately surround the gurney before the ambulance crew has a chance to get near. Fussing and cooing over poor Monte and his injuries, softly touching him, patting his hands head shoulder torso legs, all over actually.

Keith in the mean time is already sitting in the ambulance waiting for his brother holding a bag with clean clothes. Talking on the phone to Monte's wife to tell her everything is going to be fine, not knowing whether he is lying or telling the truth for a chance.

When the ambulance crew is finally allowed to get near Monte, the patient is feeling a lot better. For some strange reason the dull ache in his neck is gone. His feet aren't all pins and needles anymore, and the weird sensation in his chest every time he breathed is gone as well. He is even pretty sure he can make a fist again with his left hand. The simple fact that the ambulance crew is green with envy about all the attention he got also helps heaps in making him feel better.

The ambulance heads off to the hospital with Monte and Keith on board. The rest of the crew lets go a combined sigh of relieve. Crosby goes for his girlfriend Segesta and soon those two are liplocked again for a while, seems Segesta doesn't smell bad. With the guys and Sebastianne as interested observers.

Will and Serafina go for a shopping expedition to restock the pantry on all the things that Crosby used and threw away while making something simple as lemon cheesecake. Will already made a mental note to self. Never leave Crosby unsupervised in the vicinity of raw ingredients.

As Will and Serafina get in the car and make their way to the store Art is left alone on the dock looking like a kicked puppy. Art wanted to go along. But Crosby ordered him and the others under the shower and into clean clothes because they still stank. And sure if it was just Crosby they would have hosed him down some more, but Segesta and Sebastianne are in total agreement with Crosby and if a red hot redhead in a miniskirt pulls up her pretty little nose on you because you stink than it is time to hit the shower, shave, brush your teeth and use tons of aftershave, deodorant and hair produce.

So by the time everybody is sitting in the house clean and sparkly Crosby and the ladies are still retching from the smell, but this time it is the overpowering wall of aftershave and deodorant fumes that drives them outside.

In the mean time in the hospital X-rays are taken of Monte. And a concerned and confused doctor has some questions.

"What did you say happened?" The doctor already asked five times and Keith is getting impatient.

"Monte was working on deck when he got hit by a pot. It crashed on top of him and Lenny, another deckhand. Only the pot disintegrated and Lenny is fine. Monte was complaining about neck pain so we didn't want to take any risks and get him here."

Scribbling away the doctor tries again. "So he got hit with a pot, it fell on top of Monte and disintegrated?"

After a big resigned sigh Keith answers again. "Yes. Right on top of Monte from the crane, and it turned into a pile of rust."

"Pile of rust?"

" Okay, more like a cloud of rust, but we have it all on tape. Do you want me to call the camera crew to get it for you?"

Keith is getting more than agitated. And the doctor is considering a shot with something calming a straight jacket and a call to the mental ward of the Anchorage hospital.

"NO. I mean, no, no. it's okay, I believe you. Stay calm."

Luckily at that moment one of the more experienced nurses comes to the rescue. Whisking the young new doctor away for a bit.

"Doctor the pictures are ready. Would you please come and look at them?"

The doc is happy with the escape. But not as happy as Keith and Monte are. The fact that Monte told the doctor that he died isn't helping of course.

Ushering the young doctor in front of her towards the X-ray room the nurse is trying to defuse the situation.

"I know Doctor I know, these crab fishermen can be scary. But he isn't crazier or more superstitious than any of the others. If he wants to believe a pot disintegrated on top of his brother then just accept it. Who cares?"

By now they have reached the X-ray room and the nurse is hanging up the X-rays.

The doctor studies the images for a bit and has another question.

"Do all these guys ride bulls for a hobby during the summer? Or compete in illegal free fighting competitions? Never seen that many healed fractures in one person in my live."

Smiling condescendingly and happy for the dark surroundings the nurse manages to not sound too smug. "No Doctor, but crab fishing, or fishing in general is a dangerous job. It has a 100% injury rate, that is why it is taped for Discovery channel." In the mean time thinking that this new doctor really is an even bigger nerd then that tall dark haired one from the big bang theory, Lenard or something. She is giving this one, one year tops before he runs back to the big city screaming to lock himself in a nice sterile laboratory. And all she can do in the mean time is keep him from killing himself or anybody else.

"Are there any fresh fractures doctor" Even that annoying insistence that she keeps calling him doctor, what's up with that. It's not like there are twenty other doctors running wild in Dutch harbor.

"What? Oh No nurse there aren't, just a small hairline fracture in his left collarbone. It seems the mysteriously disintegrating pot did very little damage, a slight concussion and a badly repositioned dislocated shoulder on the left that broke the collarbone. Nothing too serious that they can't handle in Anchorage. Just get him ready for transport." And with that the doctor goes back to his little office to play some more Farmville on his computer.

The nurse made her way over to Monte's room where Keith was waiting, going crazy with impatience and worry.

"Hello Mouse, Captain. I am seeing the two of you way too much in this emergency room. But this time you're in luck Mouse. A concussion, minor fracture and a dislocated shoulder. Your going for a flight to Anchorage and over there for minor surgery to get the shoulder popped back in place properly."

Keith lets himself plop down in the nearest chair burying his head in his hands and Mouse just grins at his favorite nurse.

"Great Betty, everything to be gone from my brother. And say hello to your brother for me will you."

"Sure thing handsome. And Keith do you need a replacement for Mouse? Because Freddy Maugatau is on land and eager to work."

This gets Keith up again. "Really, where is he?"

"Try the bar, or else at home."

And after giving nurse Betty a big hug and a pat and hug for his brother Keith goes on his way to the bar, looking for Freddy.


	34. Chapter 35

Chapter 35.

Keith makes his way into the rather crowed bar. Looking around he can't spot Freddy right away so he makes his winding way to the counter and order a drink. A soft drink because he doesn't drink while working. And he wants to find Freddy and get out. Like yesterday. He has wasted enough time this season. Not even a whole trip and disaster struck. Now it seems disaster wasn't all that bad after all, Will is going down as a panic mongerer, insisting that Mouse goes to a hospital. Just a dislocated shoulder, nothing more. Okay a minor fracture, and sure he needs surgery. Still, panic over nothing. Stupid doctor and his silly questions, who cares what happened. Mouse is fine, that is the only important thing.

To summarize, Keith is angry and looking for a victim.

When the bartender finally shows up he is the one.

"Thanks mate, nice of you to come around. Give me a coke and where is Freddy Maugatay?" Keith snarls at the guy.

Luckily for Keith the bartender knows him and also knows not to take anything to seriously. Even if he thinks Keith is upset for the wrong reason. All he knows is that the Time Bandit is about to come in after a killer first trip. Celebrating the fact that they can dump their observer when they hit the shore. So he takes Keith's temper tantrum with a shrug of the shoulders and puts the coke in front of Keith.

"Nope haven't seen Freddy yet today. He must be at home with his wife Vanessa."

Keith scowls at the bartender while reaching for his drink.

"And where does he live?"

Now the bartender is starting to lose his patience. "Do I look like the yellow pages? Go ask Veda. If anybody knows she does." And with that the bartender starts serving his other better tipping guests.

Keith downs his coke a bit too fast and the bubbles feel like they are coming thru his nose, but after a bit of sniffing and coughing he fishes a fiver out of his pocket and tosses it on the counter and leaves.

Now he has time to grumble and ruminate some more on everything and everybody who did things wrong. Will is pretty high on the list. Somehow everything is his fault to start with. But then Crosby is also behaving very strange, and if Crosby had been behaving normally than Travis would never have been on the stack, and Crosby would have managed to hold on to the pot. So now it is Travis and Crosby. Only if Art had been paying attention to the bridle than the pot would never have fallen. And if Will hadn't been on board then Art wouldn't have been so starry eyed and confused.

All in all, within the fifteen minutes walk from the bar to the store, it has been everybody's fault but Keith's starting and ending with Will.

And who is giggling with Veda and a Redhead when Keith enters the store. Will.

But before he has a chance to say anything Veda is asking. "Keith, how is your brother? Will here had been telling how Monte got hit. Is he okay?"

And the worried, expectant looks he now gets from the three giggling beings. He can't even think ladies, because Will clearly isn't one. And neither is the Redhead. But Veda is. She also is the biggest gossip of town, and the only store owner, so staying on her good side is of critical importance.

So after a very quick weighing of options Keith musters enough politeness to answer.

"Mouse is doing fine. He's getting airlifted to Anchorage for some surgery and he should be as good as new within a couple of months. Thanks."

"So happy to hear that my dear. Must send him so cookies for on the trip. And how is that new doctor behaving? I heard he isn't all that great."

Veda is clearly interested in a long gossip with Keith, so Will and Segesta make their way out of the store. They have everything Will thinks he needs in two brimming over shopping carts and are making their way to the car. When they are done loading and Will is getting in to drive off, Will is grinning again and Segesta just needs to know, so much even she forgets to walk over to the other side and get into the car.

"What?" Is her impatient request.

"Nothing, I just happen to know now that the big nose thingy is true. Art is very well endowed."

And with that the eat shit grin gets even bigger and Will slams the door closed and threatens to heads off, leaving a very stunned and extremely P'ed off Redhead stranded in the shop parking lot screaming her pretty redhead off with frustration. But Will is a gentleman, or at least pretending to be. So he stops at the edge of the parking, and Serafina slowly and with dignity makes her way over and gets in the passengerseat, where she rightaway turns on Will.

"Spill. Everything, now."

And a still happily grinning Will complies.

"Well we were sharing a bunk last night. Because Monte was in mine, and Keith wanted to sleep close to his brother. Crosby was wrecking the galley, you know the idiot used my five year old unpasteurized homemade camembert for a cheesecake? I am never trusting the fool near raw ingredients again. But never mind. I was sharing a bunk with Art and when he got in I cuddled."

Serafina is already sniggering, a very un-lady like sound but somehow it fits her.

"Don't tell me he cuddled back, never would have pegged him for that far along."

"No he didn't cuddle back, first he tried to escape, but Travis was having none of it. Too much noise and Travis wanted to sleep. After he tried to play dead, unfortunately he fell asleep. And you know how the male physiology is, at night the hydraulics get a test run."

"You didn't feel the guy up while he was sleeping. That is sick even for you."

"Of course not. But not my fault that my leg was in the way. now was it."

Again with the same dopy smile that seems to be etched onto Will's face. And Yeah Serafina understands it. But she also has something to wonder about.

"Now we are talking hydraulics. Do yours work?"

"No, that would mean I also had to go for the testosterone overdose. And trust me. Testosterone on this boat would get me into serious trouble. Keith right now wants my blood. And if I had a testosterone induced temper it would be war. And I like using the brain in the head on top of my neck. Thank you very much."

And again Serafina understands. They all have a temper even without the testosterone.

In the mean time a slightly fuming Keith is standing in the parking lot ready for murder. Veda refusing to give out Freddy's home number or address but stating that she will relay the message in short order didn't help to improve his temper.

So a very angry Keith heads for the docks on foot, and before he is even there he gets called into the harbormasters office for some last minute changes. By the time he is outside again Keith is ready to explode. Only on who isn't all too clear yet, but Will isn't on top of the list anymore.


	35. Chapter 36

Chapter 36.

Nope, on top of the list are now in random order. The sadistical harbormaster, the morons at fish and wildlife, and then especially the cretin observer that is forced onto the Wizard after the very successful run of the Time Bandit. And since the Time Bandit isn't in yet, those smug Hilstand's are also high on the list, but then they always are. But now they are even higher up because now he, Keith has to wait on those two of the Time Bandit. And to add insult to injury, they are stuffed within three days and he only has half a string in and the rest of the pots soaking, or even worse standing useless on deck.

Only good thing. Keith isn't in a hurry to go and kill Will anymore. So when he spots Sig Hansen walking his way he is more than willing to fall in and have a chat.

"Hi Keith, how's Mouse doing? Heard about the accident."

"Fine just fine, but he is flying too Anchorage for treatment and this new doc is as crazy as can be."

"Good to hear, and didn't meet the new doc yet, but I'll take your word for it. How're you doing?"

"Lousy, and now I have to wait on the Time Bandit to get their observer. My season is going from bad to worse. Only good thing, I might get Freddy on board."

Now Sig is looking stunned.

"You're getting the Time Bandit observer? Poor guy, I heard this observer is a uptight Dutch bastard and a real pain in the rear. Good luck with that one. Even Eddie wanted to drown this Reilly character, that is why he is being pulled of the Time Bandit. John actually came to cuffs with the guy and from what I heard from Mike, John lost big time. And Mike just saw it as the biggest joke ever."

Not the information Keith is looking for, but anybody who manages to get the better of John is a friend to Keith. At least in principle, but in general principles don't last long onboard a working fishing boat.

Somehow Keith and Sig end up in the bar again. And somehow it even turns out that Sig is buying, because he also needed an sympathetic ear to poor his personal family misery into.

After three rounds of drinks Keith finally asks the sixty thousand dollar question.

"Sig by the way, what are you doing here? Thought your baby brother was going to be doing opie's this year?"

"That was the plan, but there is a bit of a family emergency. Louise is preggers."

"Congra….? Didn't your Edgar get his, hhe his thing fixed a couple of years ago. After the youngest was born?"

"Yep, or so we all thought and that is the emergency. It's not even sure if it isn't Edgars after all, seems the doc that fixed him didn't do too good of a job. So he still has swimmers, just not a lot of them, but the doc is adamant that only one successful swimmer is enough. So now they wait until Louise is three months and they can get a DNA test. But Edgar is so stressed he really is going crazy, don't want him on my boat like this, and Louise is threatening to take the kids and go back to Sweden if we don't believe her that she would never cheat on Edgar. Edgar is talking to lawyers to find out if she has any right to do so. So I ordered him to sit this one out and not do anything stupid until after the DNA test. If he can get Louise to go along with it. Even mom is going crazy. She offered to drug Louise and take the test material herself. But for now she has settled for sitting on Edgar to keep him from doing the crazy stuff, so are June and my kids by the way. "

Sig is doing his very best do drown his family sorrows in copious amounts of royal crown but like all those things, sorrow seems to know how to swim pretty well. Better than Sig does anyway.

Keith is nodding in understanding and ordering a new round of drinks, this time on him, because his brother is save in hospital with just minor injuries, and no other disasters brewing but a pain in the ass observer. So he signals the bartender to make it a double no triple for Sig. Seems he needs it at the moment. By second thoughts he could use a triple as well. The bartender makes the drinks, two royal crown in long drink glasses, no ice no water no nothing.

In the mean time a very distracted crew is faced by a confused Freddie. Lenny is the first to spot the Samoan standing at the dock with his bags, he went outside for a minute to smoke. Will, Crosby and the redheads still refusing to let anybody smoke inside.

"Hey Freddie, good to see you mate, what are you doing here?" catching the duffels Freddie is throwing his way.

"I got a call from Veda that Keith had a spot." Is Freddie's response after he jumped on deck.

"Oh?" Is the total response on Lenny's side, because Keith is still awol and the last the crew heard from Will and Serefina is that Monte is doing reasonably well, and that Keith was about to have a stroke trying to find a new deckhand. Sheepherding his new buddy inside to the rest of the crew Lenny tosses his cigarette bud in the water and uses that hand to scratch his scalp.

Once inside Lenny does the honors as far as needed. "Ladies this is Freddie Maugatai, guys you all know Freddie. Freddie these ladies are Serafina Segesta and Sebastiane."

Freddie is getting a good eyeful of the redheads who are smiling sweetly, Serafina and Sebastiane even going to the length of giving him a wave, he is pretty sure that Keith would never let such beauties work on his boat. The fact that soon after Crosby and Segesta are liplocked again settles the matter, girlfriend trouble on board.

Than Lenny drops the duffels and the bombshell.

"Freddie will be fishing with us the rest of the season it seems."

The rest of the crew is just looking at each other. News to them but sure, fine, Freddie is a good deckhand and a nice guy. The only ones repressing an inward shudder are Will and the redheads. Lenny seems to be less superstitious than expected but this one? An more southern native to the ring of fire might be a totally different cookie in the superstition department.

Getting Freddie settled in in a bunk is a soon done, the guy is experienced after all and Lenny is taking care of him. Crosby and Will are making dinner together. Or Crosby is making dinner with Will supervising and Segesta giving totally useless advise, Art looking on like a jealous harpy, the rest enjoying the show. With Freddie wondering in what kind of madhouse he has landed now. Sure the CM was a pretty relaxed boat to work on. But the Wizard has a reputation of being a pretty strictly run boat, only he isn't seeing in at all.

Take the cooking for example. Art and Soper are peeling potatoes, while Crosby is cutting up three heads of andive in half an inch stripes. With both Will and Segesta looking on and advising him on how to hold the knife, his fingers and how to go fast without cutting his fingers even if the boat is rocking. Even demonstrating it by pushing Crosby from one to the other while he is cutting. And all Crosby is trying to do is concentrate on his work not even laughing or telling his tormentors to get moving.

Art is peeling and cutting the potatoes as if he is trying to kill them and then throws them in the pot with a big splash, then he scratches like a madman for a few seconds and starts on the next potato, while Soper is super concentrated and trying hard not the grin constantly. Something Lenny and Travis aren't even trying to hide. They are just looking on with big grins plastered on their faces.

Will is also constantly reminding Crosby to also steer the smoked diced bacon to keep it from burning.

When finally all the andiv is sliced Crosby has to wash it and Will is checking after every washing to make sure that all the sand is gone, so it takes four tries before Will is satisfied. By then the potatoes are peeled, cut, washed and cooking. The andive wrung dry and waiting for something.

Now Will takes out a carton of eggs and with a distinctively evil smile hands the eggs and a bowl to Crosby.

"Okay Crosby last chance, break these eggs without getting any shells in. just like this"

And Will breaks an egg with one hand perfectly keeping the shell in his hand and the egg with yoke intact is in the bowl.

The others are now all paying attention and Travis seeing Freddie's confused expression explains in a stagewhisper.

"Crosby threw away two dozen eggs last night because he couldn't break them without getting the shell's in, the cheesecake was crunchy because of it."

Freddie finds himself nodding in understanding while not making any kind of sense of it. These guys are crazy, going to be an interesting trip.

The first egg breaks and almost makes it without any shell, just a little piece. Will wiskes the bowl away from Crosby and within seconds has the piece of shell out with a fork and Crosby has a different bowl in his hands that Segesta gave him.

Second egg even better, no shell but the yoke is broken. Looking expectantly at Will for approval Crosby shows his accomplishment.

"Very good, now next one, we need at least six's eggs."

With each egg the crew hold their breath and after the last egg cheers erupt, Crosby did it. The next big step to eatable dinners once Will leaves the boat.

"Okay, now pour off the potatoes, add the eggs and some salt and pepper and a generous piece of butter. We are making mashed potatoes."

Now Freddie is really confused, making mashed potatoes from scratch? Why there are packages that have that inside, you know, just ad water and stir kind of stuff?

But it seems Crosby doesn't mind using some elbow grease and within five minutes the mashed potatoes are ready and everybody has a spoonful, now Freddie has to admit, the taste is much better than any of the ad water and stir stuff he has ever had.

"Now put the andive in and stir it thru. Once that is done you can serve it with the diced bacon and some pickled gurkins."

Within ten minutes everybody is eating the andive mash but Art who is stuck with some kind of soup after a heated but whispered argument with Will. Crosby insists on adding strawberry sauce to his plate. The others are happy to eat it as it is. And so is Freddie, this is without any doubt the best food ever on a boat. No offence to Jake Harris, but Crosby is by far the better cook.

A few hours later after a nice dinner on the Wizard and who knows what on the Northwestern the two boats get a call to come and get their extremely drunk skippers. Worst part of it all according to the bartender is that the sorrows are still swimming, making both drinking buddies rather melancholy and inclined to weep.


	36. Chapter 37

Chapter 37.

Right after the call a heated argument starts on board.

"Will, you're the greenhorn, you go get Keith." Soper is trying his standing as longest on board now that Monte and Keith aren't around.

"No way man, Keith was in for my blood when Serafina and I left him. If I get him I'll get laid off and then you're all stuck with Crosby's cooking for the rest of the trip."

Now real pandemonium breaks loose. Art threatening to also jump ship if Will gets kicked off. Travis and Lynn stating to doing the same.

In between frantic scratching Art manages to make a suggestion that might work. " Why don't we send Freddie. Keith is going to be glad to see him, right? And that way we don't have to run the risk of pissing of the captain."

"Yeah, Freddie you're not scared to go get Keith are you? Take the redheads on the way over and leave them at the bar. We will get the boat ready. AUCH,WHAT?"

Leave it to Travis to say the one thing that will get him two pointy elbows between the ribs. The two not lip locked Redheads are glowering at Travis for a second and Travis pretty much feels some important part of his anatomy shrinking, just as he is getting ready to protest the girls are all charming smiles again, and within minutes Freddie finds himself escorted off the boat by two no three drop dead gorgeous redheads, looks like the one that likes sucking Crosby's face is also leaving.

All four get in the car and drive down the dock where they pick up Jake Anderson.

"Your send to pick up Sig Jakie?" is Freddie's grinning remark when he brakes in front of the blue eyed young man. "Yeah, only I don't have a ride and what I understand from the bartender walking isn't an option.

"No worries jump in, the ladies will be getting off in town."

So a blushing Jake wriggles himself between Serafina and Sebastiane with his most apologetic smile melting their hearts. Who could resist.

With a very crowded car Freddie starts driving again in the direction of the bar, passing the Time Bandit that is just coming in to offload. It is clear Freddie isn't in a hurry because he stops again and rolling down the window he shouts and waves to Mike who is standing on deck looking like a thunderstorm.

"Hey Mikey, good trip?"

"Yeah, only lousy observer. good thing we can shove the bastard to the Wizard."

"I am on the Wizard now dude, what's up."

Now Mikey can smile again. "Not telling, just enjoy the ride Freddie and keep your underwear dry."

Revving up the engine again and rolling up the window Freddie looks in the mirror only to see the shit eat grin on Jake's face.

"What's going on Jakey tell me, please?"

"No, cant, don't really know what is going on either. But I do know that this observer managed to deck Johnathan. And that underwear was an issue. So the dry remark might be valid."

By now the group has reached the bar. The ladies decent and join Freddie and Jake in the quest for the inebriated captains.

Those two are in the back of the bar hanging over the table sharing stories of woo about everything that went wrong in their lives. Good thing they won't be able to remember all of this brotherly sharing in the morning.

Freddie hauls Keith out of his chair and endures the enthusiastic of somewhat morose welcome Keith gives him. And yeah this is going to be an interesting trip. Sig is less happy to see Jake, but after some pleading and a few threats on Jake's side that he is going to go fishing without Sig if he isn't coming along Sig also makes it to the car, but not before Jake is in possession of two extremely suggestive invitations by two redheads for when he makes land again.

Jake is still blushing when Sig and he are let off the car at the Northwestern, where luckily Nick and Norman are waiting to strong-arm Sig on board.

At the Wizard Travis and Lenny are doing the honors of getting Keith on board and settled in.

They where al standing by to get going right after, Soper doing the driving from dock only Freddie has another bombshell.

"We have to wait guys, we are getting an observer that has to come from the Time Bandit. Some dude named Reilly. He should be here soon, I saw the Time Bandit come in on my way to the bar."

So with Keith safely in bed and no more entertainment in the form of three redheads the crew settles in to wait on what is going to happen.


	37. Chapter 38

Chapter 38.

Lets clear up the sleeping arrangements, because the boat is pretty full up and things have been shuffled up a bit.

Captain Keith is in his own captains stateroom, of course. Crosby and Lynn are still sharing but Deathwish is with them. Will has been permanently transplanted to Art his bunk and Travis doesn't really mind. It gives him endless amo for more jokes. Lennie and Freddie are also together, leaving Soper and Dough to fight over the last room. Not that it gives a lot of trouble. Dough is a pretty easy going guy, and the camera crew is just happy to not be sleeping in the pantry anymore.

Not that there would be any room in there after Will's little shopping spree. He made sure to have triple the normal amount of food in case Crosby got lose and in cooking mode unsupervised again. The observer it is decided can choose to either bunk with Soper and Dough or Freddie and Lennie.

The deckhands are playing a game of poker, the stakes are future cleaning points because it has been decided during the first trip that Will is counting cards or something even if they haven't been able to catch him at it yet. But no playing for money with Will in the group.

Freddie needed some confincing but after one round of guess the card with Will making a perfect score of 100% he is going along. Freakish good luck that Dutch kid has.

Only before more than two hours of Art and Lynn's cleaning time is won by Will there is a commotion outside. A clearly female voice is shouting.

"Wizard ahoy. Anybody there?"

Within seconds the entire crew minus the still sleeping captain are standing on deck watching the lady with the rather loud voice.

"Great, there is life on board. I am Mireille, the observer? your captain knows about it?"

The poor girl is starting the sound more and more uncertain. She was so sure that the harbor master relayed the message. But looking at the bumpkins in front of her she is in doubt if they even know what an observer is. At least the Time Bandit crew started complaining right away about having an observer on board. The fact that she was female wasn't all that big a problem at first. Not until after she kneed Johnathan in the crotch. And that was a pure case of self-defense. Honest, girl scouts honor and all that. Not her fault that those guys can't handle a female walking around in her underwear after a shower. He had no reason to be downstairs anyway, he should have been driving the bloody boat.

Looking over the bumpkins some more she comes to the conclusion that the big nosed one and the tall skinny dark-haired one are together. That is a first as far as she knows. The big curly haired one seems nice enough and the little dark-haired one with the extremely confused expression isn't going to be a problem either. Freddie she already knows, and Vanessa is going to have his dangly bits if he even looks at another woman, never mind that it is on a boat. That leaves the big burly one with the under bite, he looks like the two brain cells he has have a communication problem at the moment. So he isn't a threat either. The two old-timers are harmless as well. Only where is that captain she has been warned about. The fire breather?

Deciding that action is the best way to go she takes the initiative.

"Hey guys I really am supposed to be on this boat. Any help, please?"

Now Will springs into action. He recognizes the accent.

" Tuurlijk lieverd. Geef die rugzak maar."

Earning a big smile and an enthusiastic hug and three kisses in response.

"Wist niet dat er een Nederlander op deze boot zat?"

"Is ook een geheimpje. Ssssssstt, niet verder vertellen. Maar zullen we verder in het Engels gaan anders wordt de rest verdrietig."

The last bit with a wink and a grin. The black haired woman smiled back and followed Will inside leaving the guys with a chance to gossip, no discus the new developments.

The first one to speak is Art, sounding very pissed off, somebody is shooting under his pigeons.

"What the hell, thought the observer was a guy called Reilly? I am going to kill Mike." And with that Art stomps inside again scratching his back only to glare this weird female away from his Will. Not that he would ever admit to that.

"Well she did say her name is Mireille, that kind of sounds like Reilly. But no way that Mike thought she was a guy." Is Lynn's two cents.

"She is HOT." Is all Travis has to say once he gets his eyes popped back into his head and his mouth closed, and then he also storms in to make sure that the observer is going to be bunking with him, Art and Will. That that arrangement might not go down to well with his old buddy Art is not important.

Freddie just looks at it all and shakes his head. Crazy, all Crazy.

(Translation: Sure sweetheart just give me your bag.

Didn't know there was a Dutchman on this boat.

That's because it is a secret, so husssssssssssh, don't tell anybody. And let's go on in English because if we don't the others will get sad. )


	38. Chapter 39

Chapter 39

The ones staying on deck, Soper, Lennie, Lynn, Crosby, Dough, Deathwish and Freddie, finish their smokes. And have another one. Just to make sure that the bloodshed undoubtedly going on inside is over by the time they enter. Mopping op the blood after is always better then getting caught in the crosshairs.

But after about half an hour Freddie is getting cold and bored.

"What do you think? Save to go in now?" with a questioning look.

"It should be, haven't heard any screaming yet. So it is either a stale mate or the damage is done. Lynn go and take a look." Is Sopers reply. And with that a apprehensive Lynn makes for the door. Opening it carefully and sticking his head around the edge to listen some more ready to bail at any second. Still no screaming or things crashing. Must be save to go in. So Lynn goes in and stays in for a longer time than he would if it was still dangerous.

When the remaining six's heroes make it to the galley they are gob smacked. Sitting together around the table as if nothing could ever have gone wrong are Will, Art rubbing against the back of his seat to ease an itch on his back, eating some more yogurt, Travis making sheep eyes but not drooling all over Mireille, who is sitting more or less plastered to his side. With Lynn raiding the freezer looking for some food to go with his coffee.

Soon everybody has found a spot and are enjoying a cup of fresh made coffee with the apple pie that Lynn managed to scrounge up and is now sharing around like the perfect housewife he is, only thing missing is the nice lacey apron. The only one not enjoying this treat is Crosby and Lynn is worried about his friend, again.

"Crosby, have some apple pie with cinnamon ice-cream, it tastes great."

"I don't feel like apple pie." Is the petulant answer. Now that has the others paying attention. Crosby not feeling, FEELING, like apple pie. Just the fact that he isn't feeling like any kind of food is strange. We are talking about Crosby here. Something of a black hole where food is concerned. The one who had orange, kitkat camembertcake washed down with warmed up Gatorade only this morning.

"So what do you want? I'll look it up for you." Lynn offers. He really wants his friend to feel as happy as he is at the moment.

"Don't know, I do feel peckish, maybe something salty? "

Now Lynn is smiling, he knows just the thing. Diving into Will's well stocked and organized larder he comes up with a big bag of sea salt and vinegar chips. Holding it out to Crosby with the look of a proud new mom presenting her family with a nine pound baby. "Here you are."

Only to be shot down by his friend who doesn't give the offered bag a second look. "Don't feel like chips, to crunchy."

Deflated Lynn gives up. "Fine, suit yourself. I am going to eat them myself." And with that Lynn settles in with his big bag of chips on his lap. Only to find himself defending them from the suddenly very cuddly close Travis and Deathwish, but after a short struggle all three are happy eating from the same bag. Travis even remembering to offer some to the Hot, hot, hot observer, who ever said the guy doesn't have manners.

Now Crosby still wants his salty not crunchy nibble. So he goes in the direction of the larder as well, only to be stopped by Will.

"What do you feel like Crosby, beside salty and not crunchy? I will try and get it."

"I don't know. Salty and mushy, not crunchy that's all." Is the almost howled answer from Crosby, he seems about as frustrated about his strange cravings as the rest is. He is also looking close to tears by Lynn's obvious desertion.

Grabbing something from the fridge Will holds out a small glass jar. "Try this."

Carefully fishing one of the strange green marble like things from the jar Crosby tries is. And smiles a contented smile. "This is great, only I am still missing something. Don't know what? Something sweet maybe?"

With a big sigh Will gives Crosby a can of chocolate flavored whipped cream to put onto the olives and after two more olives with whipped cream Crosby comes to the conclusion that he has found his new favorite comfort food. To the disgust off the other guys, the interested of Mireille and Will's despair, he now doesn't have enough olives on board. And probably not time to order more, and the shop was out of olives.


	39. Chapter 40

Chapter 40

A jar of olives, half a can of chocolate flavored whipped cream and some impressive griping about the smell of the others later Crosby went for a shower and to bed. He didn't understand it one bit but now that the nausea was over he was constantly exhausted. And even worse he can't get into his own raingear anymore. He is developing a potbelly, only good thing, no love handles yet.

Freddie didn't really understand the complaining about the smell, sure put a bunch of chainsmoking, sweating, working with rotting fish and now onion and cheese chips eating guys in an enclosed space and sure it will smell a bit. The dips that Will made aren't helping either. But the one with the overdose of garlic is just too good to pass by. And so easy to make. The salsa is also very tasty, and Freddie doesn't even want to think about where Will has gotten the fresh coriander in January in Dutch harbor. It is here and it is tasty with the tortilla chips that is all that counts.

"What are we waiting for?" Mireille wants to know. While stuffing her face with a salsa dripping tortilla chips. Travis is just watching and enjoying himself. Finally a girl who isn't afraid to eat or worried about getting stains on her T shirt. He might even be falling in love here. She is even eating the garlic, tomato, red pepper, extra virgin olive oil, vinegar, cayenne pepper, paprika powder and salt dip. So Travis also takes an other bite and tries to think of the answer to her question, but Lennie is faster.

"The captain is sleeping, cant leave until he tells us to."

"But isn't time money? The Hillstrand's where constantly screaming about wasting time, shouldn't we wake up the captain to get going?"

Now that has Lynn grinning."If you want to, go right ahead, but I like living and I already did my recon mission this day."

And the others are in total agreement with the youngster. Let's let the captain sleep, once he wakes up with the hangover from hell it is going to be bad enough. Seeing Mireille's confused face Freddie decides to explain a bit more.

"The captain and Sig drank almost two bottles of Crown, so he won't be waking up anytime soon and when he does he is going to be cranky."

Soper is also adding his two cents

"And he has had a lot of stress the last week, his brother got hurt in an accident on deck. So he didn't sleep for almost three days."

"Okay." Is the now timid response.

"Only she actually has a point, Keith wanted to get out of here fast. So why don't we already go? Then when he wakes up he has to go straight to work and won't have the chance to throw anybody overboard."

Making a new batch of salsa Will gives his opinion. Art standing by to help with chopping and washing tomatoes is in total agreement of course. Let's get going and make sure that Will stays on board. Travis is also considering it a no brainer. Sure nobody in their right mind would throw an observer off the boat, but there is absolutely no guaranty that Keith is going to be anything close to in his right mind when he wakes up and finds out that he has wasted more than a day in port, when he could be fishing.

And that is the clincher. Within five seconds Soper is at the wheel, and the others are on deck getting ready to cast off.

So that is how it happens that twenty minutes later the Hillstrand brothers are watching the Wizard with their old observer sailing out of harbor. And where Johnathan's mouth says good riddance his heart is saying something completely different. Even if the last encounter was a bit too aggressive to his taste he hates losing.


	40. Chapter 41

Chapter 41.

(Imagine that the text in italics are in Dutch, only to keep the story flowing and not bogged down with big parts of text in a language you don't understand I went for this solution.)

(Smurfs are a Belgium invention, so we Dutch grew up with smurf coming out of our ears. There is even a big smurf song by father Abraham. )

Soon after cast off everybody but Soper are in their bunks. And sure some bunks are bit more crowded than others. But soon the not so soft sound of snoring is all that can be heard in most if not all the staterooms.

All? Not really.

"Art." "ART." Will is trying to whisper, but after a few repeats it is becoming a rather loud whisper straight in to Arts ear.

"Yeah? Wha?" Is the groggy sounding response.

"I know your itching again, but stop rubbing against me."

"He? Wha? I'm not itching. Go to sleep."

Travis is about to second that when there is some stumbling around and then.

BOINK….ARCCCCCCCHHHHH….BOINK…RAT….

And the lights go on in the stateroom. Art is sitting on the floor rubbing his head and another bodypart that came into contact with the floor. Will is standing at the light switch pointing at his bunk screaming. "RAT….RAT…RAT."

"" And with that reaction a scantily clad Mireille shoots out off the bunk she and Travis are sharing in the direction of the galley. Closely followed by Will who isn't sounding any less panicky. Leaving the two butch macho men to go and deal with the rodent still sitting in the bed, looking shiny and well fed and not realizing that his last seconds have struck.

Mireille made her way into the farthest corner of the seats around the table. Shivering in just a very nice set of black lacey undies, even if it isn't quite sure why she is shivering Will takes off his long sleeved shirt and gives it to her and Mireille takes it gratefully. _"Here, take this. I'm not cold"_ Leaving Will in long johns and a white wife beater showing off a wirery physic.

Travis makes the kill with a lot of noise and a triumphant primordial scream he exits the stateroom holding the now deceased rodent up by the long naked tail he goes to show off to the 'ladies' swinging it in front of Will's face on purpose. Only now the creature is dead and not trying to make a nest against Will's back anymore Will is less than impressed.

"Great Travis, only if you want to eat it, you will have to prepare it yourself, I am not touching that thing."

Travis can't help grinning, maybe even gloating a bit. "Was thinking about using it as bait."

Only then his face falls. It seems all the screaming has woken up Keith.

"WHAT THE BEEB IS GOING BEEB ON IN BEEB HERE?"

There is a question mark but none of the crewmembers present is so dumb as to assume this rhetorical question wants an answer. Even if the sight of a only partly dressed and very angry captain would have been enough to strike the bravest person mute.

"WHERE THE BEEB ARE WE?"

Art is the extremely brave one this time. "About nine hours out to the fishing grounds. Soper is driving."

Still screaming and raving Keith makes his way up the stairs to his wheelhouse.

"What the BEEB are you BEEB doing in my BEEB chair."

Travis and Art are looking worried, Mireille looks downright scared so Will tries to take the sting out of the situation for her.

"_If Keith would replace the cursing with Smurf he would sound like big captain Smurf smurfing from morningsmurf."_

Mireille can't help but grin at the idea. Keith as a nice blue smurf with a big white beard.

"_Or should I say smurftemper?" _

"_No morningsmurf is better, I like the double meaning."_

That is too much for both Dutchy's and they break down in giggles. To the amazement of the still worried looking Art and Travis or the others who have carefully stuck their heads around the corner of their doors but ready to pull back at the first sign of Keith reappearing.

"_You are evil but morningsmurf it is. And I am not going anywhere near Keith's morningsmurf."_ Will manages to retort.

"_So, Who's morningsmurf can I get near too? Not Art, he belongs to you right?"_

"_Maybe, not on the boat though. And you'd better stay away from Travis his morningsmurf too while on the boat."_

"_Fine."_ But Mireille is less than happy.

After a loud ten minutes a white nearly green around the gills and shell-shocked Soper is down stairs and eager to get out of sight. The others are in silent agreement. So when Will makes his way up the stairs to try some damage control he is all alone.

"Captain, coffee?"

The response is another string of Beringsea polite nothings, but there is a yes in there somewhere so after ten minutes Will is softly entering the wheelhouse again, but armed with a peace offering off fresh brewed coffee, freshly pressed orange juice, a bottle of ice cold water, three painkillers and a plate with some very salty scrambled eggs and toast.

"You really should eat something before you take the painkillers Captain." Is all he says before also beating a hasty retreat.

After at first carefully picking at the food and then wolfing it down and having a bit of each of the choice of drinks to wash down the painkillers with Keith suddenly sees the absurdness of the situation. His crew showed some initiative and gotten the boat out of port on a Thursday evening instead of having to stay until after Friday and instead of being happy he is just out of sorts. Sure his head feels as if there is a marching band having a practice in it and he would love to go back to bed. And if Soper likes being at the wheel than fine, he can be.

So Keith makes his way down again and the first door he tries is the stateroom with Lenny and Freddie in it. To nauseated to look further Keith orders Freddie to wheel watch for the next four hours and heads for his own stateroom where a caring nurse, probably in the form of Will, has left a bucket and a bottle of water next to his bunk.


	41. Chapter 42

Chapter 42.

Dear Vanessa.

I am doing my first wheel watch right now. the rest of the crew is asleep and this is also the first chance I had to write to you. Because everybody on this boat is crazy.

Sure I know the bunch on the Cornelia Marie where weird also. Phil with his bigger than life way to go. The eternal fighting between the Harris bro's. But as real brothers they where at each other's throat at every occasion but don't try to mess with Jake because Josh would have your hide. Jake seemed to have that a bit less. But then the guy is younger and more used to being the baby of the family so he didn't have to pick Josh his fights.

But back to the bunch on this boat. I know I was scared at first about joining, pretty sure that keith would be a slave driver with no sence of humor or anything. But it is completely different. Keith is drunk at the moment. Or no right now he is sleeping off his hangover. After cursing up a storm and sending Soper who had taken charge to bed.

Then he wakes me up and tells me to sit here and not wake him until we are at the fishing grounds. Only I don't have a clue as to where we are going because I wasn't on the first trip.

And there is a woman on board. An observer from fish and wildlife, only she is hunting Travis instead of watching us fish, but then we aint fishing yet. So maybe once we are catching crab she will start looking at the crab instead of Travis his ass.

The cook, yeah this boat seems to have a cook or boat mum, it is another Dutch guy, the girl is Dutch too so that is why I say another Dutch guy, his name is Will, he takes care of everybody and seems to like Art. And Art seems to like him too. And the captain doesn't mind them all sharing bunks. I am glad I am sleeping with Lenny and that we both have our own bunk.

The boat mum is also keeping Keith calm, amazing actually that it works that way. and the food is amazing. He even makes mashed potatoes from potatoes, not from a package that only needs water.

Than there is Crosby, he is about the craziest of them all. Everybody is watching him and waiting for him to really go ballistic it seems. Lynn is taking care of him and so is Will and the others just leave him alone but not in a nasty way. they guy is eating really weird stuff. Crazier even then you did when you where pregnant.

I really miss you by the way, and the kids too. Cant wait to get back home, and I have been gone less than a day right now. still miss Phil too. And too bad that the boys aren't fishing right now. or not on their own boat.

I am sure that Josh is enjoying himself on The Time Bandit. John is crazy but a good guy. Andy is okay too as captain. And I know that Sig is taking good care of Jake. Even if he didn't see it that Jake was using on his boat. But then we didn't really see it either. I know I didn't want to see that. Jake is like my kid brother as well, and it is hard to watch your kid brother self-destruct. Hope that Sig is keeping a better eye on the kid this time.

And it is a good thing that Josh has dumped that playboy bunny, she was bad news. He should go for a normal girl, not the dutch girl we have on the boat now.

Did you hear the gossip, John liked her, but she kneed him in the balls because she didn't like him all that much. Pretty sure that Travis would get a different reception. A very different reception. No ball busting for Travis.

No boats around right now. so I think the grounds are still a long way off. No bags yet either.

Sorry had to stop writing for a bit, the boat mum was here to bring me coffee and cookies. Nice ones by the way. still warm from the oven, chocolate chip and walnut muffins. Seems he is teaching Crosby to cook, only way to keep the guy happy.

Did I tell you that Crosby was eating green olives with chocolate flavored whipped cream, or with peanut butter and yellow. Really disgusting, but he seems to like it. No wonder the guy is getting fat.

He was complaining about not fitting into his own raingear anymore because of his belly being so big. If he was a girl I would think he was about seven months pregnant. He was also complaining about swollen ankles and sensitive nipples. That was when I decided to go to bed, and I wasn't the only one.

As I said everybody on board of this boat is crazy.

It is going to be an interesting trip, I will try to write more often, but cant make any promises, Keith is known as a slave driver even if he is sleeping it off right now.

Love you and think about you every second.

Biting his pencil Freddie looks over the dark ocean. The weather is deceptively calm. The water smooth as a mirror and the big almost full moon giving enough light to see far over the calm surface. Like a smooth shiny highway, the only other living things the seagulls flying along with the boat. Other boats in sight and even the soft sounds coming from downstairs where Will was giving Crosby his cooking lessons where not there anymore. He didn't want to write to his wife how he really felt right now. like the only person left on the world. In control but at the same time like a feather blowing on the wind, with absolutely now say on where he goes.

He hopes he finds an anchor again sometime soon. But he feels lost. Better to write about the crazy guys he is working with now. And hope that Vanessa never really finds his dairy. And sure he would kill anybody who would ever say he was keeping a diary. He isn't some silly teenage girl. Its not like he is writing in a pink book with a lock on it in purple ink. Its more like a journal, yeah that's it. And who knows maybe one day he can even make all those journals into a book like that Spike Walker guy.


	42. Chapter 43

Chapter 43.

Keith woke up to the smell of fresh coffee, fried bacon and eggs, cookies and something else. And whatever it was it smelled not so nice compared to all the other smells assaulting his nose. All combined with the now normal fresh pine smell that had permeated the whole boat since King season.

Stretching tentatively Keith noticed two things. First, he didn't have a headache anymore. Second he had to pee like a horse. And he knows that both things are the effect of Will's tender care. He is going to miss that guy at the end of the season. If it wasn't for the weird effect the boy has on the rest of his crew Keith would consider keeping him on for the tendering season and King later this year.

Hearing the rest of the crew getting ready for breakfast and a day of work Keith decides to take care of the second thing he noticed before heading for breakfast and the wheelhouse himself. While in the head Keith suddenly noticed a thirth thing. The not so nice smell was him. He stank rank. So going all out he even gave himself the time for a fast shower washing his hair, shaving and putting on some new underwear. But hey, if the luck that was with him since wearing this pair would go away he would dig up his lucky underwear again. He didn't keep them on the boat unwashed for nothing since King. He knew better than taking something like that home. His wife would throw a hissy fit and make him wash, or even toss them. His very best lucky undies with little ducks farthing on it. No way.

Feeling like a new man after a good night sleep and a hot shower Keith goes for his breakfast, and it is great again. Simple but effective, still warm fresh baked whole wheat bread in nice thick slices, with fried bacon, eggs and sausages. And for dessert it seems Crosby managed to bake near to fifty chocolate chip and hazelnut muffins. And Keith doesn't care that the idea of dessert with breakfast is idiotic, it tastes great and Crosby is in a good mood for a chance, and not eating something revolting. Art is seems is stuck to yogurt again, but his itch seems to be gone. And that he is all over Will, well who cares. Or that the observer girl is all over Travis. Keith is in a benevolent mood. He doesn't care at all. For now that is. Once they hit the grounds he is planning to be all work and no play again. But right now, he is happy. That's it. He is happy.

What Keith doesn't realize is that he is freaking out his crew. What is the captain grinning about? Why isn't he screaming about them taking the boat? Or about them having breakfast like this? Or about Mireille being on board? She still is a female. Very much so even, and Travis is clearly smitten even Keith must see that?

Lenny and Soper are even going so far that they take a minute to discuss the possibility of early onset dementia after excessive alcohol intake. Only neither has ever seen it go like this. But it is weird.

Only then Freddie comes downstairs and breaks the mood.

"Captain, we are at the set coordinates and the first bags are in sight, don't know if they are ours though."

All of a sudden Keith is all Captain again.

"Okay guys gear up and get ready to pull some pots." While making his way up the stairs carrying two muffins and a cup of coffee with him. Dough hot on his heels to start filming again. Finally some action.

The crew scramble to get ready and in the rush the remainder of Crosby's muffins answer the call of gravity and end up on the floor.

"What, you bunch of ungrateful idiots. Do you have any idea how long I worked on those. I am never going to make you BLEEP Morons something again."

Crosby is really getting worked up about it, he is standing with his hands in his side with his belly sticking out, getting red in the face and even breaking down in tears.

Looking guilty Lynn starts to pick up the muffins that aren't trampled yet and gives them a brush and puts them on the plate again. But that only results in even more tears from Crosby.

"No just leave them, trample them all, just like all you idiots trample all over my heart." Crosby manages to get out in between big howls of distress.

Keith is forgotten, the entire crew is staring at Crosby breaking down over a couple of muffins.

And once again it is Travis who sees it first, or at least is the first to say it out loud.

"Crosby dude, what's up, are you preggers or something?" And then staring from a stricken looking Will to the sobbing Crosby, Travis suddenly sees it all.

"And you knew." Pointing an accusing finger at Will.

"Yeah, I do. Crosby is having twins."

About a dozen jaws hit the floor at that statement. Crosby's too by the way, he didn't know why he was feeling so weird all the time.

"Twins? I am having Twins? WHEN? HOW?" Panic clear in his voice.

Laying a calming hand on the freaking Crosby's shoulder Will tries to explain.

"Don't worry, not before the season is over. And we are going to take you somewhere where you can have your babies in a safe way. We'll take very good care of you. You won't even get any scars, and if you don't want to you don't have to take care of the babies, we will. Of both of them."

Only this little speech did not have the desired effect. Crosby started hyperventilating, and Lynn screaming. "You're not taking Crosby anywhere." Managed to hit Will on the chin knocking him down.


	43. Chapter 44

Chapter 44.

On the way down Will hit his head on the edge of the sink and he crumbled to the floor out for the count. The second Will lost consciousness a massive storm sprung out of nowhere. Huge waves over sixty feet high crash over deck and the wheelhouse and winds of over a hundred miles per hour are suddenly screaming thru the few pots that are on deck.

Keith is fighting to keep the boat on course, jogging up and down the waves doing all he can to keep the bow into the waves and wind. Within half a minute or maybe two minutes at most mayday messages are flooding into the radio from a dozen other boats or more. The sudden storm is hitting every boat in the Bering sea. Crewmembers are falling over board surprised by the sudden big waves after the week of mirror smooth seas and balmy temperatures. Now there is freezing spray, high waves, wind and the decks are like an ice rink within seconds.

Diving down expecting the windows to crash with the next wave Keith hears heart rendering mayday calls ranging from man over board to boats listing and nearly going down, and the coastguard giving information about Epirb's going off all over the place. But there is no way to go help anybody. All Keith and all his fellow captains can do is try and stay alive themselves while protecting the men they still have on board.

For probably the first time in his live Keith is happy that his crew was taking their time to get out on deck. If they hadn't he would be missing a few guys as well by now. Peeking out the window to his deck just to check that there really are none of his guys on deck he gets the shock of his live.

Looking right back at him, no not looking glaring with absolute hatred in their eyes are girls. All over his deck, the pots, the crane, light mast and now he is paying attention he can even hear them on top of his wheelhouse. Girls, beautiful girls, or they should be beautiful if they weren't so angry. With their long hair blowing in the storm wind, in all colors from nearly white blond to raven black, wearing lose short dresses made of flimsy silk whipping around their slight bodies revealing much more than the average showgirl shows without being trashy. But they are all dry and not looking cold at all.

Ducking down again while a huge wave hits again, making the wheelhouse moan in agony Keith says a quick prayer for his own sanity. Only to have all the girls glaring at him in his dry and safe wheelhouse when he pops his head up again. The ones nearest the window showing their teeth and hissing at him in anger.

The smell of pine becoming overwhelming enough that he has to sneeze not once not twice but three times. Then as fast as the storm started the sea is calm again just with lots of white froth on the surface. And the girls all jump up as one entity and fly off into the moonlight in all directions.

Now the real madness begins. The mayday's come to an abrupt end, and the cursing starts. Seems every captain in the fleet has the same hallucinations. They all see girls flying and carrying the missing crewmembers on board. The boats that sunk are back up on the surface and the crew inside, even the ones that like Lenny and his brother who where certain that they were dead and are now asking and wondering what kind of hell they have gotten into.

Those are the most haunting to Keith. Because he has heard that before and didn't believe it. He laughed at Lenny and Monte, convinced that they where raving because of some head injury or shock. But now? He isn't that sure anymore, he isn't sure about anything to be honest. Who where those girls and why did they seems so familiar and why are the hairs on his arms still standing up.

Sitting down in his chair and running his hand over the sparse hair on his head Keith lets out a big sigh. Reaching for the microphone he notices that his hand is shaking but in a detached way. with the microphone in his hand Keith deliberates what to say when the door to the deck opens and he sees four people getting out on deck and the two girls jump off carrying the two men with them. Shivers run up and down Keith's spine and he drops the microphone from his suddenly strength less hand.

Jumping up and nearly falling down the stairs Keith makes his way down to the house to see who is gone and seeing his worst fears confirmed.


	44. Chapter 45

Chapter 45

Checking his speed at the bottom of the stairs all of a sudden makes Dough who was hot on his heels collide into Keith, making Keith stumble forwards right into the middle of a strange situation.

Lynn is sitting on the edge of the table flanked by two unknown redheaded young men who are glaring at him with pure hatred. Lynn is so white he's almost green and the boy looks terrified. More terrified then ever after a dressing down from Keith himself. Standing in a kind of semi circle around the strange trio are the others. Travis is holding Mireille behind him and the woman is spitting out curses and clawing around Travis for one of the redheads. Lennie and Freddie are standing together and chanting something under their breath and clearly trying to keep as much distance between themselves and the redheaded boys. Soper seems to be in shock and Deathwish is hugging his camera almost keening about lost footage.

The biggest shock is who are missing. No Crosby, Art or Will. Where are those three guys.

Keith flips and grabs the redhead nearest him and janks the boy around. The redhead looks at Keith, straight in the eyes without even a sliver of fear and Keith feels his mind go blank. Just blank. Nothing there and then he collapses onto the floor.


	45. Chapter 46

Chapter 46.

Dear Vanessa.

Well this was without a doubt the weirdest trip I have ever made. First off, it is the first trip I made without a captain. Because Keith spend most of the trip in his quarters, only leaving to take a leak. Even his food was brought to him be Lynn and according to Lynn he even had to feed him. but it was necessary. It really was. You can't have a captain that goes all Moby Dick on a crew, and Keith was doing that. No he wasn't looking for a white whale who ate his leg. No he was the only one on the Bering sea who kept saying that the boats that had gone down and reappeared where actually gone.

While I talked to Todd Stanly myself and he was clearly alive and pissed off over the missing footage about the storm. Sure he was also confused about sinking and then all of a sudden being there again. But he was alive. So was the rest of the crew of the Rambling Rose.

And not just that, Keith even refuses to believe that Lennie and Monte are alive. Lennie is on board, he can see him. but no, Lennie is a ghost, not a real person at all. And Monte is dead, so the only updates we get about Monte is what we hear from other boats.

Yeah Keith was definitely scaring everybody. So we locked him into his stateroom. And then we went fishing, right? Hey we have to make some money and the fishing was great. Sure the weather wasn't all that amazing anymore, and instead of over a thousand crab per pot it went to around the eight hundred. But still pretty good. And Serafina and Sebastiana can work quite well in their male form. It was weird working with them, they are so strong and used to cold weather it was freaky. And I didn't like being near them, but hey again not much choice.

But the fishing went great. And now we are on the way back to port. It seems that was normally Art's leg of the trip. Only Art is gone, and so are Crosby and Will. The redheads are gone now too. They just vanished after the last pot was tied down. And good riddance about that in my opinion, sure Mireille feels the same way. she didn't like having Segesta around Travis, not even in his no her no his male form. It is confusing, maybe I should start at the beginning.

Okay, so Will told everybody that Crosby is pregnant with twins. Lynn want crazy and hit Will. Will not expecting it went down and hit his head on something. And the moment he went unconscious he started changing. His hair grew long and lush, his face chanced, went softer, his nose smaller, lips wider and redder. In short he became a very, and I mean very, attractive she. His clothes also didn't really fit anymore the way they should, you know boobs and butt are a bit different in a female.

Then all hell broke loose outside. Talk about a sudden storm, we all got tossed around like ragdolls for a few seconds. Art threw himself on the floor and grabbed Will to keep the boy, now girl from being tossed into anything. Mireille started screaming and was holding onto Travis who managed to brace himself.

Then the door to the deck flew open and the three redheads that where on the boat while at the dock came marching in as if it the place wasn't going all over. One grabbed Lynn and was about to strangle the boy when Will woke up again.

Will started screaming at the redhead that was strangling Lynn. Lynn was really starting to go blue by then.

So Will screamed. "Segesta behave, let go of the kid."

At that the redhead turned around and just smirked. "So now I am to take orders again? Your back to being yourself again, your Highness?"

Will stands up and tosses his, no her hair over her shoulder. She, he, no she also managed to stand still as if the boat wasn't in the middle of a storm. And right there in front of all of us her clothes just fell off and she was also wearing one of those skimpy dresses but then in silver shot thru with rainbow colors. My eyes pretty much fell from my face when I saw that. And I really had to hold on to something I can tell you that.

"Yes, it seems I am, no thanks to you. Now let's get Crosby and get out of here before anything goes wrong. Dammit too late."

Serafina later told me that was when Jake Anderson went overboard, he was the first one it seems.

But one of the redheads grabs Crosby and makes for the door. Will looks out of the door and sees all the other girls on deck, now he, no she, really gets mad.

"What the heck, why are they all here?"

"That." And with that Segesta shook Lynn around some more still having a strangling hold on his neck. "Dared to use violence against you. You might be able to expect us to accept that, but Mother has other ideas, or did you think we created this weather?"

After that Will sat down and kind of went somewhere else. He, no she, was still there but not there. You know not really. Then all of a sudden the storm stopped. Just like that the sea was mirror smooth again. Will whipped her hair back again and walked to the door, she didn't even have to yell and we all heard her.

"Okay, now all of you, make sure that everything is the way it is supposed to be. So get the ones out of the water and make the pretty boats float again. NOW."

And all the girls went Whoosh and where gone.

Then Will takes Crosby's other arm and gets ready to leave. Only now Art seems to realize what is going on.

"No, I am coming too."

And he takes Will into a bearhug and clearly isn't planning to let go.

"You sure about that? You won't be able to go back ." Will asks and Art answers. "Yes I am sure."

So Art and Will walk outside followed by Crosby and Segesta who has finally let go of Lynn and traded places with the other redhead.

Before leaving Will looks at the two other redheads and tells them to stay and help us with the fishing so we won't be two men down.

And that was a good thing because we were actually four man down, but those two don't need to sleep and are crazy strong and never tired. And they also just chanced from girls into men. But even with them as men, Mireille kept being angry with one of them. And she made sure she, no he, no forget it. Well that the redhead in blue stayed away from Travis. And that Travis managed to work still amazes me.

So now we are on the way to Dutch with a full boat. And a crazy Captain. Soper already called ahead for an ambulance and a shrink. And Monte and Keith's wife also promised to be there when we arrive. Monte is going to be in for a shock. Because Keith is still convinced that he and Lennie are ghosts. So Keith is going to freak when he sees Monte, or ask him about how heaven is.

So that was our trip. I am never going on the Wizard again, but I will also never forget this trip.

Love you forever. Freddy

And if you do ever read this and decide to get a straight jacket for me, I won't blame you.


	46. Chapter 47

Epilogue.

"Hey how are you feeling, getting used to being so huge?"

"Shut up."

"Why? You never stopped teasing me when I was expecting. And I didn't even understand what was going on at the time."

"Shut Up."

"How are your nipples doing? Mine started itching like crazy when I was about five months in. And you must be glad that you're not puking anymore, but then you didn't puke as much as me anyway? Or are you still so used to itching that you don't mind? "

"SHUT UP."

"Now aren't we hormonal. But don't worry that will all go away about three months after the delivery. By then you'll be able to see your dick again without a mirror as well. Hope you won't mind be being around too gloat while you're having the baby blues. "

"Crosby, why don't put down Balder and Frya, so I can show you just how Hormonal I am."

"No Art, I make it a rule, to never fight with pregnant gentlemen."

And with the two year old Balder on his right hip and Frya, who has a better sense of balance then her twin brother but that is to be expected, she is a witch while Balder is a normal human, on his neck Crosby sashays off over the snowy wilderness looking for his wife.

Art gives a big sigh of relieve and hugs his really huge belly while settling in a bit more into the soft warm fur and belly of the polar bear he was leaning on. Turning his head to easier talk to the big animal he says.

"You do realize that he is just using that 'no fighting with pregnant people' as an excuse right? I could kick his butt even with this belly, hell I probably could take him with one hand tied on my back while having contractions."

The Polar bear gave a kind of hiccupping growl that Art still can't interpret. Could be a sound of agreement or a huge polar bear belly laugh, but Art doesn't really care. Finding an even better spot for his head he enjoys the northern lights on display.

Being the husband of the Queen witch has its perks.


	47. chapter 19

Chapter 19

Serafina isn't happy, and not hiding that feeling at all. And somehow all the men in Dutch harbour pick up on that, even from the boats and the cannery. Because nobody is going near her. And that is strange for a hot redhead in skinny jeans in Dutch harbor. And she has a bit of a wait ahead of her. The crew first has to finish getting the boat ready, even the greenhorn isn't allowed off the boat yet. But soon enough everybody is ready and Will has his three duffels on his shoulder and is making his way over to her. And before he is even within real talking distance she start in on him in a furious whisper.

"You do know that you're driving them crazy, right? And that is bound to blow your cover."

Will just looks sheepishly while walking closer. Also whispering but he knows Serafina's hearing is as good as his.

"Yeah I realize that by now, but I don't understand why it is. I got a good disguise here, you know, I even fixed it so I can pee standing up. Not that anybody wanted to see that yet." He even manages to sound and look disappointed at that.

"I wonder why?" Is the sarcastic answer. "By the way how is the food on board, enjoying it as much as the rest?"

Will pulls a disgusted face before answering. "I don't eat that stuff, it is all disgustingly processed stuff, all E numbers and preservatives, the most natural food on board is the bait. Really the crab are eating better than the humans do."

Serafina gives a little smile. " Seems your disguise isn't good enough now is it? Nobody said anything about you're not eating yet, or using the bathroom? Because on some level they all know that you are not a simple Dutch sailor. Their bodies are reacting to what we really are. At least the three of us are honest about it."

Now that has Will laughing.

"Sure I should have gone over looking like myself and that would have gotten me on the boat? NOT. And somebody had to do something. We were all dying of boredom at home. Admit that if I hadn't gone and gotten into contact with these guys your little friend would not be preggers right now. And you would still be yawning along with the others. You're probably enjoying the fact that your angry, finally feeling something, and that's why you're really so upset."

And Serafina has to grudgingly admit that both boredom and meeting men was a big problem the last couple of centuries. Those witch hunters some four centuries ago really messed up their lives, big time.

"So what are you going to do now? Done playing?"

"Yeah I am for now, let's get home. I could use some rest and real food and this body is irking me with all the restrictions it has, and after the big worldwide fireworks I will go back here and go for another round on the boat, I promised Keith I would. Not that I really want to anymore."

And Will sounds so down that even Serafina feels sympathy and puts an arm around his shoulders.

"Why so blue, I thought you were enjoying yourself. Is it because we played with your latest toys?"

Auch, that was the bull's-eye, Will gives Serafina a death ray stare and pulls away.

"No. I couldn't care less." Is the petulant answer but Serafina knows Will very very well.

"Then maybe I shouldn't tell you that the big nosed one wasn't interested in any of us. He even stopped drinking after the toyboy you gave him. That by the way was almost a sign on his forehead that he was spoken for, he isn't exactly a boy now is he? But he is your type of toy."

Will just huffs at that. "Sure and those scratch marks on his back the next morning just miraculously appeared there, nothing to do with any of you?"

"No Silly, didn't you notice the guy has an itch and is scratching pretty much 24/7? He spend the remainder of the evening on water or Red Bull and refused to play, not even a single dance. So boring, I am pretty sure Segesta would have liked him as baby daddy instead of the curly big guy, because of the big nose, but no such luck. That reminds me, she promised not to get the big curly guy knocked up until after the fireworks. I would have liked the big nosed one as well by the way." The last offhand remark again with her typical lack of any kind of guilt or almost emotion.

"Shut up about the big nose will you. There is nothing wrong with his nose." Will is getting snappish.

"Why? Don't you like his big nose?" Is Serafina's question with an evil grin. "By the way, do you know by now if what is said is true. Big nose means big other sticking out bit down below? The ancient Greek statues definitely don't have it and I never was in Greece myself to find out at the time, and the big nosed one does look a bit like one of those statues. And if the sticking out part down below is also like those statues than it would be very very disappointing. You can keep him if it is like that."

Will has the decency to blush. "Shut up and no I don't have a clue about Art's dangly bits. And I am not going to tell you if your right about those Greek statues either even if I was around at the time. But it was a curse in those days, may you have small shoulders a big ass and a big dick. No wonder the ancient Greek died out, they forgot to breed."

"Sure, and you had nothing to do with it, right?"

"I took care of just one little island because the men on it where a bunch of idiots. Not enough to get a whole nation extinct. They did that all by them self."

Serafina is grinning again. "Sure, and what about Troy. Nothing to do with you right?"

"Okay, I might have gone a bit overboard with my looks as Helena. But how was I to know those morons liked to fight that much?" Will is trying to look innocent, only Serafina really knows him very well.

"Great attempt to distract me but I still want my answer. Why don't you know about Art? Haven't you seen him pee yet?"

"No I haven't, nobody is interested in seeing me pee and I am not interested in seeing anybody else pee. Only had that Tinkle Tina Deathwish pee on me, and that was bad enough. No thanks to you by the way."

"Did the guy really escape without a scratch? Can hardly believe that?"

"Well he didn't. he actually lost his left lower leg. Took me quite a bit of energy and time to get it back on, that's why it took the guys so long to get that pod removed. It is a good thing they all lose a lot of weight during a trip, or Deathwish could get suspicious about having lost 15 pounds or so. Just don't do it again. Can't have him losing weight more often. Would look bad on my cooking."

Somehow this little argument perked Will up in a wonderful manner. And with a spring in their step the two made their way home, and that was nowhere near the airport. Bickering all the way, now over how awful Opie is going to be with Crosby one month puking and one month nesting. But even that Will is taking philosophically.

"Do you take him for the knitting or sewing type? So I know what to bring, needle and thread and some fabric or knitting needles and yarn?"

"Well I actually take him for needle point type, you know those tiny cross stitches and making samplers kind of guy, he could already make a nice one for the baby room. So take embroidery silk and white linen. He might even try making a quilt? It seems to be a very American hobby." Is Serafina's giggling answer.

Both laugh, and Will is just thanking his lucky star that Crosby is a big guy, he won't be showing yet with four months pregnancy. So he should be out of camera range before he gets a belly.


End file.
